UK cans 90-day detention plan

2005-11-07 15:41

London - The British government, bowing to pressure from the opposition and civil liberty groups, said on Monday it would amend new legislation that would have enabled police to hold terrorism suspects for 90 days.

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.

Police currently have the power to detain terrorism suspects for 14 days without charge, but they would like to see that period extended in the wake of the July attacks in London which killed 56 people, including the four suicide bombers.

Critics, including the opposition Conservatives and Liberal Democrats as well as civil libertarians, argued that 90 days was too long to keep a suspect without charge and a court appearance.

Prime Minister Tony Blair was due to comment further at a Downing Street news conference on Monday, as Clarke continued consultations with opposition parties.

Clarke had been forced to promise fresh talks on the issue last week after it became clear that opposition MPs - as well as some backbenchers from Blair's Labour Party - would vote down the measure.

- AFP