Ken Clarke fights amendments to security bill  Former justice
secretary says judges alone would decide whether to order a
secret hearing under new justice legislation Ken Clarke Ken
Clarke made an impassioned plea to legal experts and civil
liberties groups that his legislation will improve the justice
system. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty  Judges should be given the
"maximum amount of discretion" in deciding whether or not to
order a secret court hearing under the justice and security
bill, Ken Clarke has told MPs and peers.  The former justice
secretary, who had asked to appear before a parliamentary
committee, made an impassioned plea on Tuesday afternoon to
legal experts and civil liberties groups that his controversial
legislation will improve the justice system.  The political
battle over expanding "closed material procedures" (CMPs), also
known as secret courts, into civil courts is turning into a test
of strength between Clarke and parliament's joint committee on
human rights. The committee's last set