Call of Submissions for Coalition Government's Review of Counter-Terrorism & Security Powers in the UK - Essay Example

Its main drawback being the restrictions of liberty it imposes on individuals. Some of its limitations are travel restrictions, curfews and restrictions on individuals someone can associate with. An alternative proposed to it is use of intelligence and captured evidence in easing prosecutions. The stop and search policy has faced pertinent objections concerning fundamental human rights particularly on profiling based on religion or race. The commission argues that the powers to stop and search should be founded on rational suspicion of an individual.

It should only be arbitrarily employed in exceptional circumstances like addressing an immediate terrorist threat. Another key area raising concern is the length of period of detention before formal charges. The current extended pre-charge detention period contravenes human rights and British constitutional principles and history. Thus a review of the 28 days to 14 days pre-trial detention period is ideal (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2010). . The use of community service providers in complex counter-terrorism operations, a Prevent strategy, has raised serious concerns.

This is because intelligence gathering has been delegated to service providers like teachers. This is in inconsistent with their foremost professional duty and responsibilities. Prevent’s approach to countering terrorism is described as too broad and too narrow. By focusing on particular communities while ignoring threats of extremism not related to Islam, Prevent effectively fuels intolerance against the Muslim residents. Due to its sinister operational transparency, Prevent has lost the faith and confidence of local communities.

The secrecy on intentions of its projects such as funding free IT facilities at a youth center targeting Muslims at a town, North of England has further exposed its unpopular strategy. Consequently, Prevent’s dependence on surveillance and intelligence collecting has made it infringe on peoples personal space creating fertile grounds for unequal treatment and human rights abuse (Liberty, 2010). With similar areas of submissions as Equality and Human Rights Commission, Amnesty Internationals select submissions included diplomatic assurances and national security deportations.

The diplomatic assurances fronted by the UK government have been consistently challenged since it does not guarantee that an individual deported will not be ill-treated or tortured. International human rights laws forbid governments from deporting individuals likely to be subjected to such abuses. The negotiated bilateral diplomatic agreements entered with countries like Ethiopia, Lebanon and Libya have been observed as an attempt to elude