BBC News reports that the police investigating an alleged bomb plot targeting UK to US flights have been given extra time to question 23 of the suspects.
The time police can hold 23 of the 24 suspects expired on Wednesday and a district judge had to decide whether to grant detectives an extension.
Warrants given to the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch allow them to question 21 people until 23 August.
Another two of those held can be detained until 21 August.
The maximum period that someone suspected of terrorist activity can be held without charge is now 28 days following the extension in the 2006 Terrorism Act.
This is the extension that the Home Office said was vital to the security of the country and it’s ability to counter the threat posed by international terrorism. The extension that was actually a compromise between the former period of 14 days and the 90 day period that the Home Office and police wanted.
Curiously the 28 days detention without charge part of the 2006 Terrorism Act was not commenced when the rest of the act was in April but was actually only commenced as of July 25th 2006.
Odd that the extension to the detention without charge period that was so vital to our security that the powers weren’t given to the police until just a few weeks ago.
