Nick Clegg has said “We will ask you which laws you think should go.”
So - what about Sections 44 to 47 of Terrorism Act 2000? These sections gave the police powers to randomly stop and search someone without reasonable suspicion, providing the person was in an area which had been designated a likely target for an attack.
The uses that these police have found for these powers have been many and varied.
There was the detention of Walter Wolfgang. 82-year-old Mr Wolfgang was ejected from the 2005 Labour Party Conference for heckling, and when he attempted to re-enter the conference, he was detained and held by the police under Section 44 powers.
And there are the photographers. According to the Independent, a BBC journalist was stopped and searched by two police community support officers as he took photographs of St Paul's Cathedral.
And then there are the train spotters. Last year Mr. Norman Baker, who is now Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Department for Transport, discovered that Section 44 powers had been used to stop 62,584 people at railway stations. At the time he commented “The anti-terror laws allow officers to stop people for taking photographs and I know this has led to innocent trainspotters being stopped. This is an abuse of anti-terrorism powers and a worrying sign that we are sliding towards a police state.”
I know of no evidence that Section 44 is actually necessary. The police would probably claim that it is, but I’m not sure why I should believe them. The evidence I see suggests that while the police like to have these powers, they are simply not able to use them properly - and are regularly using them improperly.
So Mr. Clegg - please repeal Sections 44 to 47 of the Terrorism Act 2000. They aren't necessary, and they are taking away our freedom.
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5 comments:
While I agree section44 is a horrendous piece of legislation the line
"stopped and searched by two police community support officers"
Worried me. PCSOs have no power to stop and search. Or rather they can stop (for up to 30 mins) but not search without a real police officer present. If stopped by these people refuse their requests. In fact if possible walk off, they can in theory hold you but are guided not to.
Yes agree, it should be abolished. But make an exception for employees of the bbc.
Or you could just abolish the whole Act.
Which you wouldn't, so what does that say?
Which you wouldn't ...
Really? If the Libertarian Party was in power, I think we can be pretty confident that it would be giving careful consideration to abolishing the whole Act.
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