By TARIQ PANJA
Associated Press Writer
LONDON- Powers for the British police to hold terrorist suspects without charge will almost certainly have to be extended beyond the current maximum of 28 days, a committee of lawmakers said Monday.
But the Home Affairs Select Committee said measures to safeguard human rights were needed before such a move could be contemplated.
Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government tried to pass a law in November giving police up to 90 days to hold terrorist suspects without charge, but their proposals were dismissed by lawmakers.
Since that House of Commons defeat - Blair’s first as prime minister - government legislators have continued to press for further powers, arguing that the 28-day compromise agreed is not enough. Currently, police can hold suspects for up to 14 days before they must be charged or released.
In its report, the committee conceded that it had not seen any evidence from recent cases that a longer period of detention was justified. But it said the volume of cases handled by police and the number of suspects currently under surveillance meant more time was likely to be needed in the future.
The committee called for safeguards to ensure that any extension would not be abused.
Suspects should be regularly assessed to determine whether they could be released under conditions such as electronic tagging, it suggested.
The report said all arrests should be subject to judicial oversight - especially in cases where people were being taken off the streets to thwart a possible attack.
Such measures could have been “of benefit to police and public alike” in a case such as the recent anti-terrorist raid in east London, the committee suggested. A man was shot and injured when police raided a house after receiving intelligence that a chemical device was being prepared. No evidence was found, and two men arrested and held in custody were released without charge. The incident sparked protests from British Muslims.
“Earlier arrest, which means longer detention, is serving an important new function in disrupting and preventing terrorism,” said committee chairman John Denham, a Labour Party legislator.
“However, on an issue like this, the trust and confidence of the public and the Muslim community specifically is absolutely crucial; we cannot afford divisive arguments,” he said.