May announces scope of anti-terror law review

Home Secretary Theresa May has pledged to correct the "mistakes" made by the Labour government in creating anti-terror legislation that was allowed to "ride roughshod" over civil liberties.

In a statement to MPs on 13 July 2010, the home secretary announced that a review of current anti-terror laws will be overseen by former director of public prosecutions and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Macdonald of River Glaven.

Ms May said that the review would "put right the failures of the last government and in so doing restore the ancient civil liberties that should be synonymous with the name of our country".

The review will consider "the most controversial or sensitive powers," she said, including:

• The use of control orders for terror suspects

• Stop and search powers under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and the use of counter-terror laws against photographers

• The use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 by local authorities and access to communications data more generally

• Extending the use of deportations with assurances in a manner "consistent with our legal and human rights obligations"

• Measures to deal with organisations that promote hatred or violence

• Detention of terror suspects before charge.

Shadow home secretary Alan Johnson condemned Mrs May's statement as an "immature and partisan attack" on Labour's record.

Mr Johnson said many of the measures now under review were supported by all parties in the Commons following the "horror and carnage" of the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks on London.

"The threat faced then has not diminished," he warned.