Ex-MI5 chief opposes terrorism laws

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Baroness Manningham-Buller told the House of Lords that she did not believe the proposal to extend from the current 28-day limit was "in any way workable".

Her comments came as peers debated the Counter-Terrorism Bill, which scraped through the Commons by nine votes last month.

Lady Manningham-Buller is the latest in a string of high-profile figures from the security and legal establishment to come out against the 42-day plan, following former lord chancellor Lord Falconer, former attorney general Lord Goldsmith and Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald.

Her successor as director general of MI5 Jonathan Evans took the rare step last month of issuing a public statement to say that the Security Service was standing aside from the debate over 42 days, as it was not an appropriate body to advise the Government on detention limits.

His statement echoed Eliza Manningham-Buller's own stance during the previous row over Tony Blair's plans for 90-day detention in 2005, when she was head of the service.

In her maiden speech to the House of Lords, Lady Manningham-Buller said: "I have weighed up the balance between the right to life - the most important civil liberty - the fact that there is no such thing as complete security, and the importance of our hard-won civil liberties.

"Therefore on a matter of principle, I cannot support 42 days pre-charge detention.

"I do understand different views and that there are judgments honestly reached by others and I respect these views.

"But I don't see on a practical basis, as well as a principled one, that these proposals are in any way workable."