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Clarke
himself had doubts about the proposed detention extention. (Reuters)
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CAIRO,
September 17, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Facing fierce opposition, the
British government is likely to make concessions regarding its new
anti-terror bill to secure parliamentary support, a leading British
newspaper reported on Saturday, September 17.
Close
aides to Home Secretary Charles Clarke have signaled readiness to
compromise, noting that the draft bill is designed to be discussed and
altered to uphold the fragile cross-party consensus, said The
Guardian.
It
expected Clarke's draughtsmen to struggle to define the vague charge
of "glorifying" terrorism, which is penalized under the new
proposals by up to five years in prison.
The
British daily said the home secretary himself had doubts about the
proposal to extend the power to hold suspects from 14 days to up to
three months, citing an early draft of a letter he sent to shadow
spokesmen.
The
draft, which was leaked Friday, September 16, included the line -
"I believe there is room for debate as to whether we should go as
far as three months."
Clarke
unveiled the new anti-terror plans on Thursday, September 15, arguing
that the need to trawl through electronic evidence and to work with
overseas intelligence agencies meant police needed more than 14 days
to bring charges.
Since
the July 7 terrorist bombings, which claimed the lives of 56 people,
the centre-left government has introduced a string of new anti-terror
measures.
It
issued guidelines of "unacceptable behavior" under which it
can deport and ban Muslim scholars accused of fomenting, justifying
and glorifying acts of terror and violence.
Clarke
has also vowed to use his powers to deport and exclude foreigners
engaging in behavior deemed to threaten security.
Broad
Enough
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Lord
Morris said it would be difficult to convince a jury to convict
someone on such a vague concept as "glorification".
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The
veteran ex-attorney general, Lord Morris QC, a Labour loyalist, said
it would be difficult to convince a jury to convict someone on such a
vague concept as "glorification," reported the Guardian.
Kevin
Martin, president of the Law Society, believes that the current law
against incitement was already sufficiently broad, reported The
Independent.
"In
view of the already broad nature of incitement offences, we are
unclear that a new offence of 'glorification' would take the matter
any further. We also think that it would be evidentially very
complex."
Under
the proposed laws anyone who "glorifies, exalts or
celebrates" any terrorist act committed over the past 20 years
could face a sentence of up to five years.
Internment
The
shadow home secretary, David Davis, defended the ancient Magna Carta
privilege of habeas corpus - that a prisoner be brought to court
quickly, not held for months on end.
Lord
Morris also took issue with the proposed extension of the detention
period of suspects.
He
stressed that "with the ordinary custodial reduction it
represents a six months' prison sentence. So this really raises the
risk of producing a form of internment."
Lord
Morris said police will "have to prove very carefully and to the
satisfaction of legislators that this extension is needed."
Both
the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats opposition parties have
also voiced strong concern about extending the right to detain
suspects for questioning, reported The Independent.
The
British daily maintained that the retreat from the rule of law -
despite the enactment of the Human Rights Act - has been the deepest
flaw of Prime Minister Tony Blair's administration.
It
further reported that there are three ways in which fundamental
democratic principles were being quite damaged by the government's
anti-terrorism laws.
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