01 Feb 2007

In response to the Home Secretary’s announcement that he will seek to extend pre-charge detention for terror suspects beyond 28 days, Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:

"Holding suspects for months without charge is an attack on British justice and could be catastrophic for British security as well. If young people see friends and family interned without trial, they are far less likely to help the police, let alone join up. We've had years of rough and ready anti-terror laws and we are not any safer. 
 
"It’s time for a major re-think in Government; for additional resources, intercept evidence and a look at the interviewing process. These measures won't attract sexy headlines but this is about saving lives, not political careers."
 
Liberty suggests that police and prosecutors be given additional powers to enable them to bring successful prosecutions rather than extend detention periods. These powers include allowing phone tap evidence in criminal court and criminalizing an individual’s failure to turn over passwords and encryption codes for seized computers.  
 
Liberty Press Office on 0207 378 3656 or 0797 3 831 128  
 
Notes to editors:
 
1. Liberty’s suggestions to reduce investigative problems for police include: 
 
Remove the bar on intercept (phone tap) evidence in criminal trials because its inadmissibility is a major factor in being unable to bring charges. 
 
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. 
  
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 please visit the policy pages of the Liberty website.