King's academics comment on human rights in media

King’s academics, Visiting Professor David Anderson QC and Professor Robert Wintemute, have featured in the media discussing the use of schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to detain David Miranda at Heathrow Airport on Sunday.

David Miranda is the partner of the Guardian journalist, Glenn Greenwald, who has written a series of articles on NSA surveillance using data from whistleblower Edward Snowden. The power under the Terrorism Act allows police to detain individuals at UK ports and airports to question them for counter-terrorism purposes.

Visiting Professor and Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, David Anderson QC, spoke to BBC’s Newsnight programme this week about the use of schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to detain David Miranda.

Professor Anderson told Newsnight that schedule 7 is a very extensive power: “It is very good that we have it because it is useful to be able to police our borders and in particular, to be able to detect, for example, the sort of people who are going to Syria to fight for the al-Nusra front.”

He went on to say that the detention of David Miranda was an “unusual use of the power, firstly because of the profile of the person it was used on, and secondly because the examination and the detention lasted so long.”

Professor of Human Rights Law, Robert Wintemute, was quoted in the New York Times, stating: “I do think Greenwald and Miranda should bring this to court, because winning in court will rein in the government’s powers.”

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill 2013, currently before the House of Commons, would improve safeguards on the use of the schedule 7 power and would reduce the maximum period of detention to six hours. Professor Anderson has referred to proposals for reform as a ‘cautious liberalisation’ that he welcomes.

Watch Professor Anderson on Newsnight

Read Professor Wintemute’s comments in the New York Times