Luke you need your head checking. Labour are about to pass a law that will allow oetrrr suspects to be held without trial for a 42 days.42 days is a prison sentence itself so the the idea of holding a person without charge for 42 days is disgusting.What I don't understand is why is it necessary to have this legislation at all when up until now there has been no need for it. Why is this bill so crucial to the PM?My experience of the military and police operations is that evidence in particular electronic records can be obtained within 24 hours and those with the right clearance withing minutes.So the police should have a enough time to compile a case to justify charges under the current system. Also, if they have to release a suspect because of the lack of evidence then surely close scrutiny of the suspect is the better option than changing our laws that govern our legal right for a fair trial.This argument sounds very like the argument to go to war with Iraq. Based on sexed up documents and a climate of fear. I lived through and served when the IRA conducted their bombing campaigns and know the result of forcing trials on innocent men. But even then we didn't need 42 days, despite the IRA being more sophisticated and better equipped.What worries me is that this law will in the end force confessions from innocent men and women who are simply activists fighting a war they disagree with. In turn this will cause more extremism and more chance of oetrrrist activity.I'm also worried that in the future the definition of oetrrrism could be relaxed to include people who go on strike or people who blockade fuel refineries etc etc.This labour government is sending us down a very dangerous path and in the end we will lose our freedom. I never thought I would see the day when a Labour government removed one of the most fundamental rights.

by Efecan 03:55:27 AM 2012.03.26