On Wednesday 11th June 2008, MP's will vote on plans to detain terror suspects for 42 days without charge. The UK already has the longest period of pre-charge detention in the western world, and there is no evidence that a further extension will make us any safer.

"There is no more fundamental principle of liberty than that men and women should not be locked up without being allowed their day in court." Do not let the Government take away our civil liberties - take action and contact your MP TODAY!

Liberty, the civil liberties and human rights organisation, have been running their "Charge or Release" campaign since last November. Their website states:

Under current anti-terror laws you can be locked up and repeatedly questioned by police for up to 28 days without being charged. You might not even be told why you are there.

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The UK already has the longest period of pre-charge detention in the western world, and there is no evidence that a further extension will make us any safer. There are serious flaws in the anticipated Government proposal, including:

• Powers for the Home Secretary to extend pre-charge detention in individual cases beyond 28 days without any evidence of a genuine emergency situation.
• Weak Parliamentary oversight as MPs are not allowed to vote when powers are activated.
• Inadequate judicial oversight, as the courts will not be able to review the decision to extend pre-charge detention.

Liberty believes that a further extension beyond 28 days is unjust, unnecessary and will not - as the Government has argued - make us any safer.

What the papers say about the anti-terror proposals:

The Financial Times:

"...Yet the whole package is weakened by the plan to extend beyond 28 days the length of time a terrorist suspect can be detained without charge. The lack of evidence to justify the new power is deeply disturbing. Presumably if there were examples of how it would have helped, ministers would be keen to provide them."

The Daily Mail:

"...Jacqui Smith had to admit there had never been a single case in which the police found the present 28-day detention limit inadequate. All she could say was it was ‘at least highly possible’ that such an instance would arise."

The Daily Telegraph:

"...In the face of Islamist terrorism, there is a fine line to tread between protecting the public from violent acts and protecting our liberties. Extending the 28-day limit would undoubtedly undermine our liberties, yet there is no convincing evidence that it would practically assist counter-terror operations..."

The Guardian:

"No new argument has been forthcoming. Indeed, the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair has been clear: the police have not yet encountered a single case that would have required them to go beyond the existing 28-day limit. That limit is already one of the longest in the western world, and it should not be extended on the off-chance that this may at some stage prove helpful to the authorities..."

The Independent:

"...In our view, anything that compromises the principle of habeas corpus is too much and detracts from this country's tradition of liberty and justice. But in all the arguments to and fro, we have heard nothing that suggests the police need even the 28 days they have at their disposal now, let alone the 56 days Mr Brown has proposed."

Take Action:

Write or email your MP and let them know your objections to such destruction of our freedom and liberty.

You can find out who your local MP is and their contact details by going to: www.theyworkforyou.com

Further Reading:

• Liberty's 'Charge or Release' campaign
• Pre-charge detention in terrorism cases - New Law Journal

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