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Terrorism Act 2000 (Remedial) Order 2011

My Lords, this order is made under the Human Rights Act 1998 and replaces the stop-and-search powers found in Sections 44 to 47 of the Terrorism Act 2000, often referred to as the Section 44 powers. These powers allowed police constables to stop and search individuals at a time and in a place authorised by a chief officer and search for articles which could be used in connection with terrorism, whether or not the police suspected the presence of such articles. The European Court of Human Rights found that the powers were not in accordance with the law. That ruling became final on 28 June 2010 and the Home Secretary made a Statement in another place on 8 July, stating that the use of the powers without reasonable suspicion would be suspended pending a review. The powers were subsequently reviewed as part of the Government’s wider review of counterterrorism powers. As a result, the Home Secretary announced that Section 44 would be repealed and replaced with a significantly circumscribed power. The Government have brought forward these proposed changes in the Protection of Freedoms Bill. However, the review also recommended that consideration should be given to whether the new powers should be made available more quickly than the Bill will allow. The remedial order before us is the result. The order has been made under the urgency procedure in Schedule 2 to the Human Rights Act 1998. The order will lapse on the passage of the similar powers currently under consideration in the Protection of Freedoms Bill in another place. It is apparent from the European court’s ruling that there is an incompatibility to address. It is also the Government’s view, on the basis of operational advice, that given the very serious circumstances in which the new powers might be used, it was necessary to make them available using the emergency procedure which allowed the change in the law to take effect immediately. It is a fairer and more focused power with significantly stronger safeguards. It provides the police with what they need while ensuring that there are robust safeguards to prevent misuse. The new powers inserted as new Section 47A into the Terrorism Act 2000 require that an officer reasonably suspects that an act of terrorism will take place and considers that the powers are necessary to prevent such an act. This is a significantly higher threshold than in the old Section 44 power. Furthermore, an authorisation under new Section 47A can cover only a geographical area and a period of time necessary to address the threat. The maximum period of authorisation has been reduced from 28 days to 14 days. The purpose of the stop and search has also been tightened so that the use of the powers is more closely aligned with the particular threat. In addition to these changes, there is a robust statutory code of practice. This sets out the detailed requirements for the authorisation and exercise of the powers, prohibits the continuous renewal of authorisations and requires effective monitoring and community engagement. This order provides police with the tools they need to address a serious terrorist threat but represents a clean break from the years of misuse of the disproportionate and discredited Section 44 powers. I commend the order to the House.