Everyday harassment

Stop-and-search and arrest & release without charge

Under the 2000 Act, police gained powers to impose stop-and-search on an arbitrary basis, without any grounds for suspicion about an individual. These powers have been widely used to harass political activists. Under this Act they also gained powers to detain ‘terror suspects' without charge for 7 days. This was later extended to 14 days, and then to 28 days in 2005. Such long detentions impose punishment without trial, psychological pressure on ‘suspects', and damage to their livelihoods.

For more information see:

Use of police stop-and-search powers under terror law surges, The Guardian, 1 May 2009

Racial profiling and anti-terror stop and search, Institute of Race Relations, 31 January 2006

Asian men targeted in stop and search: Huge rise in number questioned under anti-terror laws, The Guardian, 17 August 2005