The Senate today stepped up pressure on the Government to press the United States to bring terror suspect, David Hicks, to trial fairly and quickly.

Government Senators backed a Notice of Motion by Queensland Senator Barnaby Joyce calling for the case to be dealt with fairly and expeditiously.

Senator Joyce expressed concern that an Australian citizen was being denied natural justice because of the time being taken to bring his case to trial.

“This is about the principle of the rule of law, it is not about the person,” Senator Joyce said.

“In fact, without a fair trial we do not know what the position is.

“When we make exceptions and place one person outside the law it sets a dangerous precedent.”

Referring to this week’s debate on the Patterson human embryo cloning bill, Senator Joyce said: “We have just finished a debate where the Senate decided that one class of human life has no rights. I do not believe in that principle in that case or this.”