Britain eyes new 'terror' laws

2004-05-31 13:32

London - Britain is considering radical anti-terrorism measures, including closed-door legal hearings overseen by "security-cleared" judges and restrictions on suspects, in an attempt to tackle Islamic terror groups, according to a newspaper report on Monday.

The ideas, part of a Home Office review launched in February, come amid growing concern that the 562 arrests under Britain's current anti-terror laws since the September 11 attacks in the United States have led to only 14 convictions, the Financial Times reported.

The closed-door hearings would be part of a two-tier trial system enabling the use of intelligence material in terrorism cases, the paper said.

"Special judges with security clearance" would hold preliminary assessments of terrorism cases based on all evidence, including that from intelligence sources such as British intelligence agency M15, lawyers said.

They would then provide a summary to a more conventional trial judge.

Also under consideration, according to "legal experts", is the introduction of "anti-terrorism behaviour orders" that could impose travel, residence and communications restrictions on terrorist suspects or offenders.

The paper did not give an opinion on the likelihood of the measures reaching the statute books.

- AFP