In response to the Home Secretary’s testimony to the Home Affairs Select Committee in advance of the publication of the Terrorism Bill, Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:

“Plans to allow three month detention without charge ignores the fact that good intelligence, not bad laws, is what police require to promote public safety.

"This new mutation of internment, like previous versions, will be disastrously counter-productive to each of the ideological, social and operational counter-terror efforts.

"Holding suspects for 90 days without charge will alienate the very communities who we need to work with.

“The proposed new offence of encouragement of terrorism is unworkable and casts far too wide a net over free speech. It must be amended first to require a deliberate intention to incite others to commit criminal acts and second, to establish a tighter definition of terrorism.

"As currently drafted, it may no longer be lawful to express the view that the Zimbabwean people will only enjoy democracy after the overthrow of Robert Mugabe.”

Liberty Press Office:0207 378 3656 or 07973 831 128

Notes to editors:

Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti and Policy Director Gareth Crossman testified in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee on the draft Terrorism Bill on 11 October.

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 general concerns about the Terrorism Bill include:

• Proposals to create new offences of encouragement of terrorism, including statements which ‘glorify’ terrorist acts, 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. It is not possible to overstate the implications of criminalising non-violent organisations on the basis of their opinions. This is an incredibly dangerous road for the Government of a democratic state to consider.