Civil Liberties campaign group Liberty celebrates its 75th birthday today.

A press release on their website contains some interesting quotes, a few of which are reproduced here:

“The work of Liberty is now even more important than it was when it was founded 75 years ago. The threats to our freedom come increasingly from state authoritarianism which now uses the war on terror as an excuse for doing so. Unless we stand against it we shall lose what we are being told we must defend.” Tony Benn

“We are bombarded with a variable menu of national anniversaries, commemorations, exhortations to be proud of Britain. But I find it harder to think of anything more worthy of celebration than the fact that since 1934, in spite of whatever else, somewhere in our country, the struggle to maintain civil liberties has been kept alive. Congratulations to Liberty on 75 years!” Colin Firth

“The tradition of civil liberties is fundamental to any civilised society, and Liberty has been protecting the rights of the individual since 1934. The battle is far from over. In an over-governed nation it has become fashionable to disregard individual liberties, both great and small. This makes the task of protecting freedom and privacy even more vital. I wish Liberty a very happy 75th birthday.” Sir John Major

But on this day of celebration, it’s worth asking the question, could Liberty do more? The threat to our basic human rights and civil liberties has never been greater in most of our lifetimes, yet is Liberty gaining enough coverage? Are they bashing down enough doors? (not literally, of course), and are they engaging with the general public enough? I’d love to hear your thoughts.