Maximum Periods of Detention Before Charge

Part of Orders of the Day — Police and Criminal Evidence Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:45 pm on 15 May 1984.

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Photo of Mr Robert Maclennan Mr Robert Maclennan , Caithness and Sutherland 4:45, 15 May 1984

I am grateful to the Minister for now giving way. He will recall that I gave way to him once. — [Interruption.] The Home Secretary has no business to interfere. He was not even in the Chamber at the time. He has absented himself throughout the debate in a most disgraceful fashion. He should make his partisan points elsewhere.

The point I addressed to the Minister of State was that the Royal Commission had not set an upper limit of 96 hours. I said to the Minister—he has still not dealt with this point —that he had not discharged any onus for claiming a specific 96-hour upper limit. I have refreshed my memory on what the right hon. Gentleman said on that point. He said: Any period must be chosen arbitrarily". — [Official Report, Standing Committee E, 16 February 1984; c. 1242.] The Minister then went on to make it perfectly plain that he had no reason whatever for choosing 96 hours.