Scribbled Atom

Imagine you're in a time of crisis (like Gordon Brown), and you suspect someone's a threat to the country or its institutions (like Gordon Brown), but after 28 days you still don't have enough evidence to charge him. Under the new law you could keep Gordon locked up for an extra fortnight.

Now, you may think this risks radicalising members of Gordon's community, could damage perceptions of the state and undermine the consent that police and others depend upon. Well, before you go making wild accusations you need evidence to back that up. What's more, do you have any idea how long it takes to scan a hard drive these days? It can take up to 42 days. You have to post it to another department, find it again, put printouts on a train to London and hope for the best. These things take time.