A committee of MPs and peers have called for an independent review of all counter-terrorism laws passed since 11 September. They questioned whether, nine years after the attacks on the US, ministers could reasonably claim that a "public emergency threatening the life of the nation" remained.
In its report, the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said it was pleased to see that ministers said a commitment to human rights "underpinned" counter-terrorism work. But it warned that "all too often" they were "squeezed out by the imperatives of national security and public safety".
It also said that the government should abandon its attempt to introduce a law allowing terror suspects to be held for up to 42 days without charge. It added that the need for the current 28-day, extended from 14 days in 2005, should be revisited.
The committee's chairman, the Labour MP Andrew Dismore, said: "There is no question that we face a serious threat from terrorism, or that we need legislation to counter that threat.
"The question is, are the counter-terror measures we have in place justifiable, on an ongoing basis, in light of the most up-to-date information we have."
