Prevention of Terrorism legislation

6.00.00pm GMT Fri 11th Feb 2005

The Liberal Democrats in both Houses of Parliament have led the fight to improve the Government's anti-terrorism legislation.

All parties agree that there is a serious threat of terrorism. All parties agree that there is a need to take appropriate measures to combat it. However, the Liberal Democrats believe that it is possible to maintain our security while still protecting our liberties. Throughout the passage of the Bill this is what we have sought to do, and we believe we have succeeded.

Paul Keetch, Liberal Democrat MP for Hereford and Defence Spokesperson said "The final Bill is not perfect but it is a much better Bill than the one the Government started with. No bill in living memory has been more successfully altered. Over the last few weeks, substantial improvements to the Bill and other concessions have been made by the Government, and the Liberal Democrats have been prominent in achieving them"

The improvements include:

· The role of judges is now much more central to the whole process and, although it's not perfect, there is no question now of the Home Secretary making a control order without judicial supervision.

· Prosecution must be the first option before control orders are considered.

· No house arrest or derogation (from the European Convention on Human Rights) without the Home Secretary putting an order before Parliament.

· All control orders will be for a limited period.

· Suspects will have much greater opportunities to challenge the evidence which forms the basis of the allegations against them. (The court has control of what evidence defendants and their lawyers have access to and, where evidence is withheld, the court will require the prosecution to provide an appropriate synopsis.)

· A clear undertaking from the Home Secretary that evidence obtained from abroad under torture will be inadmissible.

· A commitment to work on a new counter-terrorism bill whose passage will be completed by the end of 2006, and with a 'long title' which will be sufficient to permit amendment or repeal of any part of this bill. (The Government's previous proposal of providing for the renewal of the Bill would have meant an 'all or nothing' choice, with no amendments permitted.)

· A commitment that this new bill will include an offence of acts preparatory for terrorism, so a formal prosecution for planning a terrorist offence is more likely.

· A clear commitment from the Government to reviewing the use of intercept evidence (phone taps) in court.

· A sunset clause in all but name.