90 days versus 300 years of habeas corpus
So, today’s the day when we get to find out how few MPs have any principles or backbone left, as the Government seeks approval for its most appalling assault on civil liberties yet:
After a succession of U-turns and mixed messages, ministers have decided to stick to their original plan to give the police unprecedented powers to hold suspected terrorists without charge or trial for up to 90 days. This is more than six times as long as the existing 14-day limit and, taking current remission procedures into account, is equivalent to a six-month sentence. It is a huge breach of the 300-year-old habeas corpus principle that every arrested citizen has a right to be either charged or freed. Democracies are not supposed to allow imprisonment without trial.
An article in today’s Independent does a pretty good job of tearing apart the arguments for 90-day detention.
One of the victims of the July 7th bombings has written an excellent piece on the latest NuLabour legislation, and the disgraceful methods being used to push it through:
Why the rush if not for political gain? How dare you co-opt ‘the victims’ to defend this attack on liberties, as if we are all some amorphous bloodied mass that you can wave in front of the Commons as a fig leaf for your naked desire to be seen to be ‘tough on terror’?
As I type, the radio’s just announced that the 90-day internment proposal has been defeated (well, they didn’t actually use the word “internment”, but that’s what we’re talking about)! They’ll soon be voting on a “compromise” of 28 days.
Thanks for the link, and the support!
No, thank you for having the courage and strength to write so intelligently about your feelings and experiences post this terrible event.