The numbers game

Another Dutch auction coming up:

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said the time has come to look again at extending the 28-day limit on holding terrorism suspects.

She told a fringe meeting at Labour’s party conference prevention of terrorism outweighed any potential damage to community relations.

But Ms Smith ruled out extending the controversial period to 90 days.

This is about political expediency, not justice.  Let’s look as if we’re doing something about terrorism – it’s been a week since we last announced something.  What can we pick?  Ah yes, detention without charge.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, said the police must prove that they need the extra time.

Absolutely right!

And then we need to consider the pros and cons.

Let’s not just pick a number out of the air and run with it.

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