JURIST - Paper Chase: French MPs approve anti-terror bill

[JURIST] France's National Assembly [official website] on Tuesday voted 373-27 in favor of a new anti-terrorism bill [JURIST report; draft text, PDF] that will increase the use of video surveillance and allow police more time to question terror suspects. The proposal, which still needs to clear a Senate vote in January before becoming law, will also lengthen the duration of prison sentences for terrorism, and will require transport companies and Internet cafes to hand over or store previously confidential or unknown customer data. French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy [official profile], who is leading the efforts to strengthen France's laws against terrorism after the July London bombings [JURIST news archive], said that the bill is not meant to trample civil liberties. Instead, the bill would allow police to pre-empt terror attacks and not work "after the fact." The French National Assembly provides additional materials and background on the legislation [in French]. AP has more. Le Figaro has local coverage, in French.

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