Tories: End phone tap bans to stop arbitrary lock-ups

The Conservatives have said ending bans on phone tap evidence in court would reduce the numbers of suspects being locked up "in an arbitrary fashion".

Shadow home secretary David Davis welcomed today's joint committee on human rights recommendations to allow intercept evidence to be used in terrorism cases.

"Subject to the appropriate safeguarding of sources, methods and the rights of defendants, it would be a very good way of bringing terror suspects into the justice system by allowing them to be charged under existing terror laws," he said.

"This would reduce the risk of recruiting more terrorists by locking up suspects in an arbitrary fashion, such as through the use of control orders."

He also supported the use of incentives to encourage witnesses to provide information, as long as this was controlled to prevent the use of untrustworthy evidence and to stop the innocent pleading guilty.