PM under pressure on detention plan

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A report by MPs and peers on the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) rejected increasing pre-trial detention unless there was proof that the current period was inadequate.

The Prime Minister last week said there was a "growing weight of opinion" on the need to extend the time limit and put forward four options to go beyond 28 days.

However the idea of lengthening the time limit has been attacked not only by the JCHR but also by Tories and Labour rebels.

The JCHR said: "A power with such a significant impact on liberty as the proposed power to detain without charge for more than 28 days should, in our view, be justified by clear evidence that the need for such a power already exists, not by precautionary arguments that such a need may arise at some time in the future."

Andrew Dismore, the committee's Labour chairman, demanded: "Where is the supporting evidence to extend the detention period? As far as we've heard there has not yet been a case where 28-days was inadequate. This is being proposed on the possibility that it might be in future."

Shadow attorney general Dominic Grieve said the Government would have to produce evidence to convince Parliament there was a need to go beyond 28 days.

Mr Grieve added: "There are arguments that any extension to the period may be of greater convenience to the police. The problem is that there are also arguments to the contrary, which is that as we are embarked on a very dangerous period of our country's history in resisting terrorism, we need to be firm in our values.

"If we jettison our values, it may well be a major hindrance in bringing this terrorism to an end. Throwing away your civil liberties when there is not a clear necessity shown by the evidence may well be a mistake."

Labour MP David Winnick, a member of the all-party Home Affairs Select Committee, said the JCHR report should send a warning to the Government about the danger of attempting to extend the 28-day limit. He said: "I think it demonstrates how controversial it will be if the Government insists on extending the number of days beyond 28."