MacAskill calls for house arrest and tagging as anti-terror measures

Former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has advocated the use of house arrest and tagging to deal with the threat of terrorism.

Writing in The Scotsman today, Mr MacAskill states: “Most of these individuals who pose a potential threat are UK citizens. They cannot be deported. Internment in Northern Ireland was an unmitigated disaster that cannot be repeated. It simply assumed that many with particular views were potential terrorists.”

He adds: “However, some balance with the rights of our wider society is needed. Control orders were replaced by Terrorist Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs). Both seem to have been fraught or hugely complex. But some similar but refined measures may still be needed. It could mean house arrest or tagging and cannot be indefinite. Given the implications for individual liberty there needs to be both democratic oversight and judicial scrutiny. Blaming ECHR is a smokescreen. This can be done within it.”

Read the full article on The Scotsman website