The debate on the detention of terror suspects is not really about the number of days; frankly 28 or 42 seems a marginal difference.
What this is really about is civil liberties and the right of the state to imprison someone without charging them.
The Labour party have argued that no one can be detained unless they are seen before a judge. But if that was such a great check on the powers then why are they not arguing people can be detained indefinitely without charge, just so long a sa judge approves it. Ours is an independent judiciary and that should be enough. I would not back that change but one can see where their arguments eventually lead - from where we are to Guantanamo Bay is not a very long journey. When is indefinite detention, indefinite detention?
There has been no evidence that the current 28 days has been breached and until that evidence emerges then the Government should not be making this argument, and picking a fight they may well lose, over such an issue. What with this and their sleaze problems you would have thought Brown would want a quiet life!
Jacqui Smith plans 42-day terror detention limit - Times Online
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