British lords reject torture evidence

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The British law lords ruled Thursday that secret evidence that might have come from torture cannot be used against terror suspects in British courts.

The ruling was a victory for eight men who had been held without charge, the BBC said.

It also meant the home secretary will have to review cases in which evidence from other countries might have been obtained in that way.

The government says it does not use evidence it knows to have been obtained by torture. But, the Court of Appeal ruled last year that such evidence could be used if British authorities had no involvement.

Eight of the 10 foreign terror suspects who were being held without charge, backed by human rights groups, challenged that ruling.