SCP: "42-day extension unnecessary", say Seniors

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Monday, 09, Jun 2008 12:00

The Senior Citizens Party (www.seniorcitizensparty.org.uk) condemns the Government's obsession with extending the power to imprison suspected terrorists without charging them from 28 to 42 days and its refusal to consider other simpler and more common sense solutions. Party Leader Grahame Leon-Smith said: "We have consistently proposed the abolition of the outdated law which prohibits the police from interviewing suspects after they have been charged. It makes no sense at all, it ties the hands of the police behind their backs, and does not even exist in other countries. Whenever they uncover new evidence the police must be allowed to confront the suspect with this, in order to build up a full picture. It makes a complete mockery of crime investigation if this is prohibited. Once charged - and of course the suspect may at first be charged with a less serious offence which can be updated later - he can perfectly legally be held in prison until his trial, as happens in other countries." The Senior Citizens Party also supports making evidence obtained from telephone or email tapping admissible in court. It is pointless to legalise tapping, as we have done, but then not to allow the results to be presented in court.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Senior Citizens Party represents the largest demographic group in the UK, the 20.6 million people age 50 or over who make up 43% of the voting population.

For further information, a quote or an interview, please contact the Party Leader, Grahame Leon-Smith on +33(5)4606 4608 or Mobile: 07509 047363.