42 day pre-charge detention plan now dead in water - HARRIS

4.29.00pm GMT Fri 14th Dec 2007

Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP and member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) commenting on the committee's report attacking the Governments plans to extend pre-charge detention beyond 28 days for terror suspects, said:

"This report demonstrates that the 42-day plan - which the Government had said would be evidence-based and have broad agreement - is evidence-free and broadly opposed."

"This report sets out clearly that - even from key organisations like the Crown Prosecution Service - the evidence of sufficient threat or of insufficient existing laws is not there and the support is not there."

"The flawed and inappropriate proposals to have parliament debate and vote on specific instances and the lack of any additional judicial safeguards are the nails in the coffin of this plan."

"It is time for the Government to drop its obsession with extended pre-charge detention and concentrate on maximising the benefits of all the other new approaches that have wider support, like the use of intercept and post-charge questioning."