Michael Howard is wrong on Control Orders

According to news reports this morning, the former Conservative party leader and Home Secretary Michael Howard has joined the illiberal triumverate of David Blunkett, John Reid and Charles Clarke in opposing the abolition of control orders. 

Michael Howard's position on this issue comes as no surprise whatsoever, given that he was the Home Secretary to first attempt the introduction of ID cards way back in 1996.

Control Orders give the Home Secretary the power to impose more stringent conditions on the movements and daily lives of individuals than those the Burmese military have placed on Aung San Suu Kyi.  Those subjected to Control Orders can not only be placed under effctive house arrest but banned from associating with family members, owning mobile phones or attending their place of work - all without charge, without effective recourse to appeal and without knowledge of their accuser.

Speaking to Telegraph, Howard he "could not think of another way of ensuring people are safe from terrorists"

At Big Brother Watch, we can think of few less effective ways of ensuring people are safe from terrorists.  The figures speak for themselves.  Of the 45 orders imposed to date, seven of the individuals have absconded and the remainder have been discontinued.

It is a standing affront to the rule of law that, without charge, anyone’s liberty is curtailed – their freedom of movement and association are limited to the point at which they are, essentially, under indeterminate house arrest.  This Kafkesque conception of justice is simply incomparible with any country which wishes to see itself as a liberal democracy.  

David Cameron would do well to ignore Michael Howard's utterances on this issue - and those of the past Labour Home Secretaries whose record on civil liberties he has himself described as "woeful".

The alternatives to Control Orders and the like are outlined in Dominic Raab's excellent pamphlet for Big Brother Watch, Fight Terror, Defend Freedom.

Comments

[FarahDamji]

Stick a couple of politicians and fraudulent MPs under Control Orders and let's see how fast they are repealed then. This is the unholy triumverate - David Blunkett, John Reid and Charles Clarke, who between them created almost 4 000 new laws, divided up the Home Office like a Sunday joint to create the Ministry of Injustice, created NOMS which is now being disbanded and oh, don't forget that hugely expensive computer system that won't work but is too expensive to disband. This is a case of Monkey See, Monkey do the Opposite. Idiots.

[Headhunter]

Michael Howard is not wrong. These are evil people. I quote from Benedict Brogan in yesterday's Telegraph: Eight men are subject to a package of judge-ordered restraints known as control orders. Their lives are circumscribed by limits on whom they can meet, where they can go, how far they can travel, their access to telephones and the internet. Their movements are monitored continuously by an electronic tag. They are subject to daily curfews of up to 16 hours. They hold British citizenship, although there is nothing to suggest that they view this as anything more than a useful tool in their attempts to destroy everything this country stands for.

Several have been before the courts and acquitted of terrorist offences. The security services believe that three of them in particular, if left to their own devices, would almost certainly commit terrorist attacks. One is an alleged al-Qaeda mastermind, who entered the country on a false passport to help plan the failed airline plot, whose name we cannot report. Imposing his control order, Mr Justice Owen cited “his potential future engagement in terrorism-related activities”. Another, an associate of the al-Qaeda commander Rashid Rauf, wants to be a suicide bomber. Mr Justice Wilkie said: “He has been involved in terrorism-related activity and would continue to do so if he had the opportunity.” Another has received explosives training and has influential al-Qaeda contacts.

Critics who point out the failings of control orders have good cause. In addition to suggestions that some of those under surveillance have been able to get hold of mobile telephones, and attend mosques and even demonstrations in Hyde Park, we also know that seven others who were under looser control orders have disappeared. Four of them are believed to have rejoined al-Qaeda in Pakistan, and one of them, Abu Rideh, was declared killed last month in an Allied missile strike.