The judgement against the government came under the law of Habeas Corpus, one of the most important and ancient cornerstones of English law.
The rule forces the authorities to bring a prisoner to court - or to explain why they cannot do so. It was originally developed to stop monarchs making their enemies disappear without trace.
** UK requests return of US detainee **
The British government asks the US to return to its custody a man being held without charge in Afghanistan, a week after a unique court order.
