R v Incedal and Rarmoul-Bouhadjar (2014), formerly known as R v AB and CD, is a criminal case brought in the United Kingdom against two people suspected of terrorism offences.
The ruling stated: We express grave concern as to the cumulative effects of holding a criminal trial in camera and anonymising the defendants.
[7][8] The defendants, Erol Incedal (initially known as AB) and Mounir Rarmoul-Bouhadjar (CD), were arrested on Mansell Street, Tower Hamlets, on 13 October 2013 at 7 pm.
[7] Questions about the effect of holding a secret trial were asked by Sadiq Khan, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice,[14] and Keith Vaz the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
[16] Columnist Jenny McCartney pointed out that over three decades of terrorism in Northern Ireland, a criminal trial had never before been conducted in absolute secrecy.
[18] On 12 June 2014 Conservative MP Dominic Raab asked for a debate in the Commons over a bid to hold a terror trial in complete secrecy.
The former Foreign Office lawyer, who had worked with the intelligence services, said that even after the ruling to lift some of the restrictions, only "hand-picked" journalists would be allowed to cover the trial.
[20] On 31 October 2014, Incedal denied terrorism offences, saying he had contemplated committing an armed robbery or buying heroin or a gun instead.
In situations like the Incedal case, clearer rules were needed to protect the public interest in freedom of expression and access to criminal trials.