In response to the publication of the Terrorism Bill and the Foreign Office’s Counter-Terrorism Legislation and Practice Country Survey, Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:

“This latest piece of spin misleadingly compares pre-charge detention with lengthy pre-trial periods in different legal systems around the globe.

"But things have come to a pretty pass when the country that once defined justice for the rest of world seeks to win a race to the bottom in fair trial standards.”

Liberty’s concerns with the Terrorism Bill include:

• Proposals to create new offences of encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications are extremely broadly drafted. They do not require any intention to incite others to commit criminal acts. The Terrorism Act 2000 (TA) and existing common law means there is already very broad criminal law. Any difficulty in bringing prosecutions can be largely attributed to factors such as the self imposed ban on the admissibility of intercept evidence.

• Plans to allow three month detentions without charge will have a severe impact on community relations. This would allow for the equivalent of a six month custodial sentence. It is over twenty times the pre charge detention time limit for murder. If the police have genuine difficulties in gathering evidence we should look for more proportionate ways of dealing with the problem.

• Extension of the grounds for proscription under the Terrorism Act will criminalise membership or support of non-violent political parties. The implication of criminalising non-violent organisations on the basis of their opinions is incredibly dangerous for a democratic Government to consider.

Liberty Press Office: 0207 378 3656 or 07973 831 128

Notes to editors:

Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti will speak at a Public Meeting entitled “Uniting Communities, Defeating Terrorism” on 12 October at 6:30pm at Central Westminster Hall, Storey’s Gate, London SW1H 9NH
Liberty’s full response to the Draft Terrorism Bill can be downloaded from the 'Liberty and Security' or 'Policy' Pages