MP Will Vote Against 42 Days Detention Without Charge - Gordon Prentice

Gordon Prentice - Pendle's Campaigning Labour MP

MP Will Vote Against 42 Days Detention Without Charge

Written by Gordon Prentice

Thursday, 05 June 2008 00:00

Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, is to vote against the Government's proposals in the Counter Terrorism Bill which would allow the police to lock up a suspect without charge for up to 42 days. The MP says he is unconvinced the current 28 day limit on detention without charge needs to be changed.

Speaking from Westminster earlier today, the MP said: "42 days is a figure that has been plucked out of the air - just like the 90 day proposal before it that was voted down by the House of Commons."

"The present Director of Public Prosecutions is opposed to the proposal as is the head of counter terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service. The former Lord Chief Justice, the former Lord Chancellor and the former Attorney General are all against the change."

"Significantly, the Lords and Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights which reported today has also come down against the 42 day proposal."

"The report's conclusions are persuasive and reinforce my own long held view that the 42 day proposal was brought forward to appear tough on terrorism rather than for any other reason. We really must get away from the habit of legislating to grab headlines."

Note to Editors The report (Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: 42 Days and Public Emergencies) states on page 35: "It remains our view, expressed consistently in previous reports, that the Government has failed to make its case for further extending the maximum period of pre-charge detention and that there is therefore no need to make any provision for the extension of the current maximum. We explain why the safeguards in the Bill, even after the potential Government amendments, are inadequate to protect individuals against the risk of arbitrary detention. We also spell out explicitly all the necessary safeguards in the event that the public emergency, which is the premise of the Government's proposal, were ever to materialise….

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 10:20 )