Opposition to terror suspects plan

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Lord Woolf insisted ministers and the police had still not produced proof to show that a change in the law was needed.

"I, like very many other people, have not been convinced by the evidence put forward for increasing the period," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The peer also stressed that he did not believe the controversial issue was as important as addressing problems surrounding prison overcrowding and sentencing of offenders.

"The liberty of the subject, of course, is always important but the number of offenders who are going to be affected by this is going to be very small," he said.

"I would prefer, myself, to allow them to be charged and after they have been charged, so they know what they are facing, that they are still subject to questioning - albeit that is then in custody."

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has signalled she wants to use the forthcoming Terrorism Bill to extend the current limit, potentially to more than 50 days.

However, the Tories, Lib Dems and many backbench Labour MPs oppose the move.

This week, Sir Ken Macdonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions and Lord Goldsmith, the former Attorney General, both said they saw no reason to justify an extension.