Posts Tagged ‘England And Wales’

The ability of UK police to use counter-terror stop and search powers against peace protesters and photographers lay in tatters after a landmark ruling by the European court of human rights.

The Strasbourg court ruled it was unlawful for police to use the powers, under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, to stop and search people without needing any grounds for suspicion.

The widely-drawn ruling said that not only the use of the counter-terror powers, but also the way they were authorised, were “neither sufficiently circumscribed, nor subject to adequate legal safeguards against abuse”.

The use of these powers has grown fourfold, from 33,177 times in 2004 to more than 117,200 in 2008.

The Metropolitan police have used them most, but 11 other forces in England and Wales also make routine use of them.

National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU) is a national policing unit set up by ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) to respond to the threat of domestic extremism in England and Wales. MI5 has assessed that domestic extremists do not threaten National Security at present.

What is apparent about the tactics used by domestic extremists is that as the companies directly involved in animal experimentation for instance, have undergone considerable security advances and are harder to infiltrate by extremists than they were. What extremists will do is target fringe companies who indirectly have connections to animal experimentation. Banks, insurance companies, supermarkets and retail outlets, law firms packaging companies etc. These companies are comparatively easy targets and employees may have no idea what the threat is to them of their companies.

If you would like advice in this area and consider yourself or your company at risk then please talk to us.