User 'anonymous' did: report at Sat Aug 22 05:38:13 +0000 2009.<br/>truetrue
<p>Recommendations of the UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights concerning the use of anti-terror powers for stop-and-search:</p>
<p>"93. Whilst we accept that there may be circumstances where the police reasonably believe, on the basis of intelligence, that a demonstration could be used to mask a terrorist attack or be a target of terrorism, we have heard of no examples of this issue arising in practice. We are concerned by the reports we have received of police using counter-terrorism powers on peaceful protestors. It is not clear to us whether this stems from a deliberate decision by the police to use a legal tool which they now have or if individual officers are exercising their discretion inappropriately. Whatever the reason, this is a matter of concern. We welcome the Minister's comments that counter-terrorism legislation should not be used to deal with public order or protests. We also welcome the recommendation in the new guidance to human rights being included in community impact assessments. We recommend that the new guidance on the use of the section 44 stop and search power be amended to make clear that counter-terrorism powers should not be used against peaceful protestors. In addition, the guidance should make specific reference to the duty of police to act compatibly with human rights, including, for example, by specifying the human rights engaged by protest."<br />http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200809/jtselect/jtrights/47/4707.htm</p>
<p>Concerning the impact of the recent legislation about taking photographs of officers in public the joint committee said:</p>
<p>"94. Concerns have recently been expressed in the media that a new provision in the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 makes it a criminal offence to take and publish a photograph of a police officer. Section 76 of the 2008 Act makes it an offence to elicit or attempt to elicit information about an individual who is or has been a constable "which is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism."[174] As the Explanatory Notes to the Counter Terrorism Bill correctly stated, the new offence will only be committed where the information in question is "such as to raise a reasonable suspicion that it was intended to be used to assist in the preparation or commission of an act of terrorism, and must be of a kind that was likely to provide practical assistant to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism."[175] That is the effect of a decision of the Court of Appeal in a case in 2008[176] interpreting the same statutory language in the separate terrorism offence of possessing a document or record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.[177]"</p>
<p>"95. We therefore do not share the concerns expressed in the media that the new offence criminalises taking photographs of the police. However, we do regard as significant the fact that this is being widely reported as a matter of concern to journalists. Legal uncertainty about the reach of criminal offences can have a chilling effect on the activities of journalists and protestors. We therefore recommend that, to eliminate any scope for doubt about the scope of the new offence in section76 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008, guidance be issued to the police about the scope of the offence in light of the decision of the Court of Appeal, and specifically addressing concerns about its improper use to prevent photographing or filming police. "<br />http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200809/jtselect/jtrights/47/4707.htm</p>
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2009-04-01T21:35:05+00:00978promotedmanosfalse<p>We are current receiving reports from the Climate Camp in the city, that all people are going to be searched to be allowed out, as well as people are told to delete photos of officers from their cameras, under the threat of seizure. Interestingly the joint committee on human rights of the UK parliament has just made a couple of recomendation about policing directly condeming the use of these anti-terror power to police protest. Here are the direct quotes and links.</p>Misuse of police anti-terror powers2009-08-22T05:38:13+00:00