14 Feb 2007

In response to the Lord Chancellor’s speech on terrorism and politics today, Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:
 

"Lord Falconer is right to promote human rights as the antidote to terrorism but locking suspects up for ever longer periods without charge only breeds extremism. Rights and freedoms cannot be for the Lord Chancellor to give and the Home Secretary to take away.”  
 
For years Liberty has recommended additional powers for police and prosecutors to enable successful terror prosecutions instead of extending detention periods. These powers include allowing suspects to be re-interviewed after being charged and being re-charged as further evidence is uncovered, allowing phone tap evidence in criminal court and criminalizing an individual’s failure to turn over passwords and encryption codes for seized computers.  
 
Jen Corlew on 0207 378 3656 or 0797 3 831 128  
 
Notes to editors:
 
1. Liberty’s suggestions to reduce investigative problems for police include:
 
• Review the way in which people that have already been charged can be re-interviewed and recharged as further evidence is uncovered. This will allow for a charge to be replaced with a more appropriate offence at a later stage.  
 
• Remove the bar on intercept (phone tap) evidence in criminal trials because its inadmissibility is a major factor in being unable to bring charges. 
 
• Bring in existing powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) which enable a civil court to require an individual to hand over an encryption key (which unlocks data on seized computers). Anyone who fails to comply with such an order will be committing a serious criminal offence.  
 
• Prioritise the hiring of more foreign language interpreters to expedite pre-charge questioning and other procedures.  
 
2. For a copy of Liberty’s evidence to the Parliamentary Home Affairs Committee enquiry into Terrorism Detention Powers December 2005 or Liberty’s “The Human Rights Act – exploding the myths”, visit the policy pages of the Liberty website.