British Prime Minister Tony Blair reluctantly accepted on Monday that he would have to back down on proposed anti-terror laws that would enable police to hold people for up to 90 days without charging them.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke, announcing what amounts to a climbdown, said, however, that the new time limit would not be as short as the 28 days sought by critics of the new Terrorism Bill, which faces a parliamentary vote on Wednesday.
”We do not want to compromise on the 90 days at all. It will be a compromise with this nation’s security,” said Blair at his monthly Downing Street press conference, where he held out hope that he could yet minimise the impact.
It would still leave Britain’s police with a system ”less tough than that, for example, of France or Spain”, he added.
”It is not the position we want — and I hope that between now and Wednesday we can win people over,” he said.
Police can currently detain security suspects for 14 days without charge, but they want that period extended to 90 in the wake of the July suicide attacks in London that killed 56 people, including the four bombers.
Under the legislation, police would have to get a judge’s permission every week to keep a suspect in custody without charge.
Blair faced a showdown with rebel lawmakers from his own Labour Party later on Monday and spelled out the case he would lay before them, saying he would not fly in the face of the police’s professional judgement.
Blair said the government would have to offer a compromise amendment on Monday for Wednesday’s vote or risk the law being delayed.
”It is what the most senior police officers in the country… have asked us to do as they battle to prevent further terrorist outrages.
”Don’t be under any doubt at all: this is the view of those charged with protecting our country’s security.
”I believe that they [the police] have put forward a compelling case, making it crystal clear that the need for a maximum 90 days to hold suspects prior to charge is necessary.”
”The challenge of this type of terrorism is not one that can be met by the policing methods of the 1990s.”
Blair said that only a handful of people are liable to face detention –”less than 20”.
Critics, including the opposition Conservatives and Liberal Democrats as well as civil libertarians, argued that 90 days is too long to keep a suspect without charge and a court appearance.
However, it is the rebel Labour lawmakers who are Blair’s biggest concern as he attempts to stave off what could be a first House of Commons vote defeat in his eight-year premiership.
Clarke had been forced to promise fresh talks on the issue last week after it became clear that the Commons would vote down the measure. — Sapa-AFP