Tony Blair wants 90 day mandatory detention for terror 'suspects'

[Grimmlok]

I'm sorry, but if I'm suspected of something I wouldn't relish languishing in jail for 3 months while I lost my job and my apartment was taken from me, all without access to my lawyer..

Prime Minister Tony Blair has firmly backed controversial police demands to be able to detain terrorist suspects without charge for up to 90 days.

Speaking just ahead of publication of the Government's controversial anti-terror measures, Mr Blair said: "I have to say that I, for the reasons the police have given, have found their request for this power absolutely compelling."

Addressing MPs at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Mr Blair added: "What I have to do is to try to do my best to protect people in this country and to make sure that their safety and their civil liberty to life come first, and that is what I'm going to try to do."

Challenged by Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy on the need for the power, Mr Blair told MPs: "There will be different issues on this in political parties and across this House.

"What I have got to try to do, and I'm going to try to do it in a spirit of reaching consensus on it, is to take the proposals that have been made by the police, and lay them out before people and then let us have a debate about whether they are a sensible way to proceed or not."

Mr Kennedy asked Mr Blair to say whether reports suggesting the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith was not unpersuaded about the merits of the 90-day proposal were correct.

In a reference to the controversy over Lord Goldsmith's advice on the legality of the Iraq war, Mr Kennedy added: "Or is just going to be another occasion when the Attorney General's internal views go unreported to this House?"

Mr Blair replied: "No, they appear to be quite extensively reported at least."

Earlier, Tory leader Michael Howard said he was "yet to be persuaded" over the 90-day proposal and called for a more fundamental examination of the criminal justice system.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman told a regular briefing of Westminster-based political correspondents: "If you have to arrest people at an earlier stage of investigation because of the possibility of suicide bombs and the devastation that causes, therefore you do need to give more time to the police to gather evidence. That is the crux of the argument."

[IceQueen]

^^^^ Interesting - I would think the US is giving a fine example of why NOT to do that. But what do I know, the lemmings here aren't rebeling yet. (If I am missing for 90 days for these comments - call me a lawyer!!

[Grimmlok]

^^ what would be the point, they'd have no access to you!

[Grimmlok]

Whatever you do, don't call America "the great satan", or say "Durka Durka Mohammed Jihad"

[A*O]

Well I guess being locked up for 3 months is marginally better than being gunned down by cops on the London Underground.

[Grimmlok]

Yeah, only by virtue that you're alive.

Lesson: Don't be tanned and don't run in the tube.