Give up your rights – just in case

Yesterday the British government won – by a majority of only nine – its proposal to extend the time a suspect could be held without charge from 28 days to 42 days.

An overhaul of counter-terrorism laws in 2000 introduced the basic 48-hour detention, extendable to seven days with the permission of the courts. In 2003 that was doubled to 14 days – and the Terrorism Act 2006 took it to 28 days. Can you see a pattern here?

The Prime Minister said it was better to extend the limit now, rather than doing it in a panic at some point in the future. This is superficially attractive – an example of the alternative close often used by sales people. For example, “Would you like to book in tomorrow, or some time next week?” In fact it’s more like a mugger offering to take your wallet now, rather than having to snatch it off you later.

Does it matter to the ordinary law abiding citizen? Won’t they only use it on angry young Muslims intent on violence? In short, yes it does matter. There are already many examples of “function creep” – of anti-terrorism legislation being used to curtail the freedoms of ordinary people. We would do well to remember this famous poem:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.

- Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)