Veto the EU law

Sir - It looks as if our criminal justice system based on Common Law that has served us well for over 800 years is in danger of disappearing this year.

The EU is determined to appoint a European Public Prosecutor (EPP) as soon as possible and sweep away our Common Law to be replaced by Corpus Juris based on the Napoleonic Code.

This will mean that all the protections that the British people have come to expect under the law will disappear: the presumption of innocence until proved guilty, trial by jury and habeas corpus; all would become a thing of the past.

Instead Corpus Juris, a completely alien system of law with none of the safeguards of our present system, would become the basis of our criminal justice system.

This would mean a presumption of guilt until proved innocent.

Instead of a jury, most trials would be held in front of professional magistrates or judges without the common sense input that juries bring in our system and of course no longer would there be the protection afforded by habeas corpus.

Under Corpus Juris suspects can be held in prison without charge for up to two years. This could all come about this year.

Fortunately for us this system, common throughout continental Europe, must receive a unanimous vote of approval in the Council of Europe before it can become law.

So the UK can use its veto to prevent the creation of an EPP.

We need all our MPs to put pressure on the Government by signing Early Day Motion 637, which calls on the Government to use its veto. This is just another example of how the EU is changing the British way of life.