UK: adoption of a controversial new control-order law

On 11 March, the UK parliament adopted a new counter-terrorism law introducing preventive control orders for terrorist suspects to supersede earlier administrative detention provisions. This legislation enables the executive to place far-reaching movement, communication and work restrictions on individuals for renewable periods of twelve months. Control orders are issued upon “reasonable suspicion” that an individual may pose a threat and are subject to judicial review. The law also foresees special “derogating control orders”, including house arrests, that would require derogation from article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The ICJ and its UK section, JUSTICE, made a joint submission to the House of Lords.

Law ICJ/JUSTICE Report