JURIST - Paper Chase: UK PM Brown urges longer detention without charge in security statement

[JURIST] UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown [official website] told parliament Wednesday in a wide-ranging statement on security and counter-terrorism policy [text; recorded video] that new rules need to be implemented that allow police more time to question uncharged terror suspects. Brown argued that the current 28-day limit on detention without charge is not adequate in a post-9/11 world, and that the 15 attempted attacks on Britain since 2001 evidence the need for an extended time period for questioning. Since the 28-day rule went into effect, six suspects have been questioned for the maximum period allowed before charging; three of them later had to be released without charge.

Brown flagged for consideration one proposal that would allow extension of the 28-day time period under a declared state of emergency and an alternative that would authorize weekly extensions by judicial permission for up to 28 days more subject to parliamentary notification. He also announced a review of current UK law on the use of wiretap evidence in courts and a plan to set up a new UK border protection force. AP has more. BBC News has additional coverage.

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