The Hindu : International : British MPs oppose terror law

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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International

British MPs oppose terror law

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, FEB. 23. The British Government has decided to go ahead with its controversial anti-terror legislation despite prospects of a revolt by its own MPs, and the threat of the entire Opposition to vote against it.

Under the proposed legislation, which a senior Labour MP described as the "greatest attack on the liberty of British people for 300 years," the Home Secretary will have powers to issue sweeping "control orders'' against those he regards as a threat to national security but where the evidence is not strong enough to charge them or bring them to trial.

Judicial review

The so-called control orders will range from 24-hour surveillance of suspects to severe restrictions on their movements, including access to telephone and Internet, and possible house-arrest in exceptional circumstances. The Government has rejected demands that such orders should be issued by a court rather than a politician, but it has agreed to a judicial review within seven days. The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, said "elected politicians, not judges, are responsible for the safety of the country and that is why it is constitutionally right for me as Home Secretary to initiate the control-order process.''

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was accused on Wednesday of "ramming'' the bill through Parliament where in an unprecedented show of unity the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have joined hands to vote against it. The legislation will replace an existing law that allows the Government to detain indefinitely and without trial foreigners suspected of terrorism. The law was thrown out by judges recently on the ground that it was discriminatory as it applied only to foreign nationals. It will apply to all terror suspects, irrespective of their nationality.

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