The UK Government is in the throes of wrestling with
"control orders" as a way to manage terrorist suspects it can't just bring to trial because that might expose sensitive somethings or someones. So what can you do?
The govn't has been saying that it will use control orders to send these untriable, wicked, terrorist suspects to their living rooms. Of course it's not that these bad people will be subject to chintz prints and overstuffed furniture without the benefit of cell phone or internet that is at issue.
No longer at Belmarsh (what's been called the UK's Guantanamo), these "terrorist suspects" (so far, men only, foreign nationals only) will be sent to their UK homes.
The concerns expressed about control orders is that they can be invoked by the Home Secretary alone. As proposed, this means that up to 7 days after these orders have been put in place, a judge can review them and recind them (set the people free?).
Many MP's are calling for only a judge to be allowed to make such an order - no politician should have the privilege of recinding the rights of the magna carta (no house arrest without judicial process).
Other MP's and legal experts (as interviewed on Broadcasting House, BBC, Radio 4 Sunday Feb 27 05) point to the fact that such orders, which can now be applied to British citizens as well, might be used against political disidents, animal welfare activists, or anyone who could be, for the benefit of the govn't of the day, construed as a "terrorist suspect."
One MP, speaking from personal experience, said that this proposed legislation was reminiscent of house arrest in South Africa in 1968 to control people who spoke against the Government.
A responding MP said that the comparison could not be made fairly. Of course. It's always different when you're the one doing it, isn't it?
There's a
List of links covering the topic at the Guardian newspaper's site.