Terrorism Laws - Arrest 'conspicuously unfair'
WORKERS, MAY 2006 ISSUE
The High Court has ruled that the Home Secretary's decision to arrest a British terror suspect and then subject his movement to strict controls was "conspicuously unfair". The Home Secretary had acted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, which gives him the power to impose control orders on all terror suspects without charge or trial.
Mr Justice Sullivan said that the government had tried to apply a "thin veneer of legality" to cover the reality that its Act allowed "executive decision-making untrammelled by any...effective judicial supervision". The government intends to appeal and the Home Office said the judge's ruling would not affect the operation of the control orders laws.