http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1420046,00.html
3.30pm Clarke announces anti-terror laws concession Simon Jeffery Tuesday February 22, 2005 The home secretary, Charles Clarke, today announced compromises to controversial proposals to put British terrorism suspects under de facto house arrest in the hope of winning support for their swift passage through parliament. Under the concession, individuals ordered by the home secretary to stay in their homes would receive an automatic judicial review of their case within seven days. Those subject to lesser controls such as limits on internet communication could challenge the decision in the high court. Ministers are attempting to get the orders on the statute book before the post-9/11 emergency anti-terrorist legislation expires on March 14. To do that, the government needs the support of Tory peers in the Lords and the passage of the bill through the Commons in two days. Critics of the proposals, who include both the Tories and Liberal Democrats, argue that judges alone should have the power to curtail the liberty of British citizens. The shadow home secretary, David Davis, asked what the emergency was that meant a bill abandoning "a key principle of British justice" could not be subject to the usual scrutiny of parliament. "No one is saying we should do nothing but I have to tell the home secretary he has settled on the wrong answers," Mr Davis told the Commons. Mr Clarke insisted that he was dealing with threats to national security, which were the sole responsibility of the government. "Some believe that the absence in this country of a terrorist outrage like 9/11 or Madrid means that the terrorist threat has somehow passed us by or failed to materialise," he told MPs. "That view is short-sighted, complacent, ignorant of the facts and potentially cavalier of the safety of this country." He said that the compromise on judicial review meant judges would now have a "critical role" in the workings of the control orders. The orders could involve restrictions on a person's right to travel or associate with other people. The most serious could also involve requiring suspects to remain at a particular address, under a form of house arrest that would require a derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights. The home secretary said he did not intend to seek a derogation immediately since the security services did not believe orders requiring detention at one address were not currently necessary. Mr Clarke said the government's preferred approach was for prosecution of terrorist suspects and ministers were considering the scope for new offences relating to the commission and instigation of terrorist acts when parliamentary time allowed. Unveiling the legislation today, Mr Clarke said: "My principle responsibility is to protect this country and everyone within it. "It would be the gravest dereliction of duty to wait until we have suffered a terrorist outrage here and then respond only after the event. "I am not prepared to take a risk of that kind." Plans to place control orders on suspected terrorists were revealed last month in response to a ruling from the law lords against the imprisonment without trial of foreign national suspected of terrorism. Mr Davis said the Conservatives would support the renewal of the post-9/11 emergency legislation in order to allow more time to scrutinise the proposed law. He said it offered "no proven advantage" over separate legislation allowing the detention of British terrorism suspects for 14 days for police questioning. The prevention of terrorism bill will be published today, with the hope of getting it on the statute book by March 10 - four days before the existing legislation expires. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. 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