UK publishes anti-terror bill

A new British anti-terror bill will allow police to hold terrorist suspects for up to 42 days without charge. Some say the bill is a necessary evil in the name of national security, others say it violates rights. ISA invites its readers to publicly debate this issue.

The UK government published a bill on 24 January that will allow police to hold terrorist suspects for up to 42 days without charge. The bill has been criticized by human rights groups who say that the government has failed to present any new evidence for extending the maximum allowable detention period.

The new measures include expanding the use of DNA sampling in terrorism investigations and allowing the questioning of terrorist suspects after they have been charged. Under the proposals, judges may impose longer sentences where terrorism connections are considered an "aggravating factor," according to British media outlets. Also, persons convicted of terrorism-related offences will in future be put on a special register similar to that for sex offenders, allowing the government to monitor and prevent them from traveling abroad, if deemed necessary.

The bill will also seek to introduce powers to seize the assets of convicted terrorists where an association with terrorist plots is demonstrated. The bill introduces the new offense of communicating, publishing or eliciting information about armed forces personnel.

The most controversial measure has been the extension of the amount of time suspects can be held without charge from 28 to 42 days. The government argues that terror plots are becoming more complex, both in terms of their international dimension and the use of encrypted technology, and the extension is therefore necessary to protect national security.

The government explains that the new detention limits would not be standard in all cases but would be a "reserve power" available for authorities to use in exceptionally complex cases, such as those requiring the cooperation of foreign governments.

Opponents say the proposals send the wrong message and may backfire. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the bill risks undermining community relations and Britain's image abroad. HRW warns that the bill violates fundamental rights and risks alienating British Muslims. Fellow human rights group Liberty said in a statement that "there is no evidence that a further extension will make us any safer."

Liberty called the proposals unjust, saying they lacked strong parliamentary or judicial oversight. The Muslim Council of Britain has also told the government that any extension of pre-charge detention was likely to be counterproductive.

Key points to consider:

• The bill will face a tough parliamentary test in the coming weeks. In an effort to win parliamentary support, the government has increased parliamentary and judicial oversight of its proposed measures;
• The bill places Prime Minister Gordon Brown on a collision course with fellow Labor Party lawmakers who have announced they would join the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in opposing the extension. The plan will fail if 34 Labour lawmakers vote against the bill;
• The proposed bill is the sixth major counter terrorism bill since 2000;
• Government and security forces argue that the current detention limit needs to be extended because the complexity of terrorism plots is growing;
• Britain has allocated some US$90 million to over 70 local authorities over the next three years to fund projects to tackle violent extremism;
• More than 1,000 people have been arrested in the UK for terrorism-related offences since 2001. Only six have been held up to the 28-day limit since 2006;
• Five of them were arrested in August 2006 in connection with an alleged plot to target