Cherie Blair, the lawyer wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, said today that Britain must not allow the terrorist threat to undermine its commitment to the law and democratic values.

In a lecture in Kuala Lumpur entitled "The Role of the Judge in a Human Rights World", Mrs Blair said there was an inevitable conflict between the need for national security and human rights.

But she told the 2,000-strong audience that judges must ensure that governments and citizens observed their responsibilites as participants "in a true democracy committed to universal human rights standards".

Mrs Blair, who uses her maiden name Cherie Booth in her professional life as a civil rights lawyer, noted she was tackling the issue shortly after the July 7 bombings in London which left 56 dead including the suicide bombers.

"Nothing I say here could possibly be construed as making light of these horrific acts of violence, or of the responsibility imposed on the UK and other governments to keep the public safe," she said.

"At the same time, it is all too easy for us to respond to such terror in a way which undermines commitment to our most deeply held values and convictions and which cheapens our right to call ourselves a civilised nation.

"The government, even in times when there is a threat to national security, must act strictly in accordance with the law."

Bush criticised

Mrs Blair also waded into the issue of the vacant seat on the US Supreme Court bench, implicitly criticising President George W Bush's reported backing for a candidate in the mould of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

She described as "suspect" the "originalist" approach taken by Scalia which seeks to know the original intent of the Founding Fathers who drafted the US Constitution, and argued in favour of a more pro-active approach.

"Already in the US there is much debate about who will be appointed to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor," she said.

"One view - apparently endorsed by President Bush - is that preference should be given to a judge who is committed to constitutional interpretation by faithful reference to the text's original meaning.

"I think it is fair to say that such an interpretative stance is suspect when considered against the very idea of a constitutional document," she said, adding that they articulated ideals which were constantly changing and being refined.

The speech to an appreciative audience of lawyers, dignitaries and diplomats was originally supposed to be part of a longer programme in Malaysia including a charity event for breast cancer.

However, she was forced to skip the fund-raiser when the British press highlighted its links to the gala opening of the Starhill boutique complex owned by Malaysia's YTL conglomerate.

The move followed a flap in Britain over a talk she gave in Washington in May for which she reportedly earned US$55,000, prompting allegations that she was profiting from her status as the prime minister's spouse.