- LONDON (IRNA) - Freemasons
in Britain are threatening legal action to prevent the government from
forcing its members in the police and other parts of the country's criminal
justice system from identifying themselves.
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- The United Grand Lodge, the London headquarters of the
secret brotherhood, has taken legal advice that any plans to make disclosure
compulsory would be discriminatory under Britain's recent Human Rights
Act, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.
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- "We believe we are being singled out in a way that
implies there is something wrong in being a freemason," the Grand
Lodge's head of communications John Hamill was quoted saying.
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- The British government made disclosure of freemasonry
membership in the police and criminal justice system voluntary in 1979
following concern in parliament over the role of improper influence by
the secret brotherhood in public life.
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- But the response to voluntary registration has been slow
and the Home Office has said that it has not ruled out making disclosure
compulsory.
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- According to the Financial Times, freemasons, who are
estimated to number more than 300,000 in Britain, are encouraged by recent
developments in Wales' devolved assembly following the incorporation of
the European Human Rights Charter into British law.
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- Next month, the Cardiff-based assembly is due to vote
out a stipulation that its elected members must register whether they are
a freemason before taking office, fearing that it could be open to challenge
under the Human Rights Act.
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- Hamill was reported to be also masterminding a public
relations exercise to dispel public suspicions about the activities of
freemasons by drawing attention to the non-controversial and charitable
activities undertaken by the brotherhood.
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- http://www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/21155845.htm
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