Judge to probe 'complicity' in torture of terror suspects

London: A judge will investigate claims that British intelligence agencies were complicit in the torture of terror suspects, William Hague, the foreign secretary, said on Friday night.

The move was welcomed by civil liberties campaigners and may put pressure on the Labour leadership candidate and former foreign secretary David Miliband, who was accused by Hague, while in opposition, of having something to hide.

Miliband has repeatedly rejected the accusation and broadly indicated that he or his officials may have been misled by foreign intelligence agencies about the degree of British complicity.

Hague's remarks appear to have caught the Foreign Office by surprise, as no details were yet available on how the inquiry will be conducted, its terms of reference or when it will start work.

Under pressure

Hague will come under pressure to ensure the inquiry is public and comprehensive. He first called last year for an independent judicial inquiry into claims that British officials had colluded in the torture of Binyam Mohammad, the former Guantanamo detainee and a UK resident.

Mohammad claimed that he was tortured by US forces in Pakistan and Morocco, and that M15 fed the CIA questions that were used by US forces.

Philippe Sands QC, professor of law at University College London, said tonight: "To restore trust in government, both here and abroad, and to get to the truth, the inquiry needs to be deep and broad and as open as possible.

"It should address, in particular, who authorised what and when and why, what the relevant legal advice said, and how it related to any change in US practice in 2002 and 2003."