34
A. AND OTHERS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT
F. The release of the fifth applicant on bail
78. On 20 January 2004, SIAC decided that it should, in principle, grant
bail to the fifth applicant. The Secretary of State attempted to appeal against
this decision but was informed by the Court of Appeal in an interim
decision dated 12 February 2004 that it had no jurisdiction to entertain an
appeal.
79. SIAC explained its reasons for granting bail in greater detail in a
judgment dated 22 April 2004. It held that under the 2001 Act it had a
power to grant bail only in an exceptional case, where it was satisfied that if
bail were not granted the detainee’s mental or physical condition would
deteriorate to such an extent as to render his continued detention a breach of
Article 3 of the Convention on grounds of inhumanity, or Article 8 on
grounds of disproportionality.
80. SIAC noted that there had been concerns about the fifth applicant’s
mental health among prison staff from May 2002, although these concerns
had not been communicated to his legal representatives. In December 2003
he had suffered a serious relapse into severe depression with psychotic
symptoms, including auditory hallucinations and suicide ideation. A number
of psychologists and psychiatrists had examined him, at the request of his
legal representatives and at the initiative of the Home Office, and had
agreed that he was seriously ill and that his mental health would be likely to
improve if he were allowed to go home. SIAC concluded:
“We do not think that the threshold has been crossed so that there is a breach of [the
fifth applicant’s] human rights. The jurisprudence of the [European Court of Human
Rights] emphasises the high threshold which must be crossed and that detention is
unlikely to be regarded as disproportionate unless it at least verges on treatment which
would constitute a breach of Article 3. But we are satisfied that, if he were not
released, there would be such a breach. To permit someone to reach a state whereby
he requires treatment in a special hospital or continuous care and attention to ensure
he does not harm himself can constitute a breach of Article 8, unless perhaps there is
no possible alternative to detention, and probably of Article 3. As we have said, we do
not have to wait until that situation exists. Provided that we are persuaded, as we are,
that the conditions we impose are sufficient to minimise the risk to the security of the
State if [the fifth applicant] is released, we can act as we have.
We must emphasise that the grant of bail is exceptional. We are only doing so
because the medical evidence is all one way and the detention has caused the mental
illness which will get worse. ...”
81. The fifth applicant was, therefore, released on bail on 22 April 2004
on conditions amounting to house arrest. He was not permitted to leave his
home address and had to wear an electronic tag at all times. He had no
Internet access and a telephone link to the Security Service only. He was
required to report by telephone to the Security Service five times a day and
allow its agents access to his home at any time. He was not permitted
contact with any person other than his wife and child, legal representative