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Terrorism (Detention and Human Rights)

The hon. Gentleman is right: there is a danger of getting hung up on language. The Joint Committee did not like our use of ““preventive detention””, but I found a description in its report of exactly what we were talking about, albeit in different language, so there is not very much difference between the two Committees. Similarly, the prosecutor’s role could be enhanced. However, our fundamental point is that the police are currently asked to make a judgment about the investigation that they require to secure a conviction, and an operational decision about protecting the public from a level of risk at a certain point in their investigation. There is every case for bringing in an independent or different element to assist the police, and for the police not to have to shoulder the entire responsibility.