[andrewb]

The Government plan to pass legislation to increase detention without trial from an already high 28 days, the longest time in any democracy by far, to 42 days.

The closest is Australia 12 days. France can detain for 6 days, Germany 2 days, Canada 1 day. Even the country directly affected by 9/11 and most involved in Iraq, the USA, only holds its citizens for up to 2 days without charge.

Who can we compare with? Zimbabwe has set it at 21 days and China 37.

If you put yourself in the detainees place, how would you feel sat there for 6 weeks if you were innocent? Being detained without anybody even saying why.

The fact is 28 days has only been needed once, and that is very debatable. Why should we increase it further? The government have put no convincing argument forward as yet. It is simply a further erosion of our liberties.