JCHR: Terror suspects must be prosecuted

The joint committee on human rights (JCHR) has said the government must prosecute those suspected of terrorism.

Committee chairman Andrew Dismore told politics.co.uk: "We stress the duty on the government to protect people from the threat of terrorism, and the duty of the state to prosecute those involved in terrorism and overcome the obstacles to a successful trial."

The committee’s recommendations to provide incentives for witnesses would encourage people to provide evidence to help with prosecutions, he said.

But he added that "appropriate safeguards" would need to be established to ensure false information was not provided.

The Labour MP also said: "We should consider a genuinely independent body to review the policies and procedures within which the security services work."

The body – based on the Canadian model - could meet on a monthly basis to complement the work of the parliamentary intelligence and security committee, he added.