UK parliamentary committee says counter-terror bill may breach human rights

The proposed Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill, which is currently going through UK parliament, may be misinterpreted and might violate human rights, the parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) said on Tuesday.
“The Committee is concerned that some of the new powers are too vaguely defined and do not have sufficient safeguards to protect human rights,” the JCHR said.
The proposed counter-terrorism bill provides for punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
Though the bill aims to close some loopholes in the current legislation, some of its provisions extend the reach of the criminal law into private spaces.
The bill might criminalise “curious minds and expressions of belief which do not carry any consequent harm or intent to cause harm,” the committee explained.
The conclusions of the parliamentary watchdog contradict the opinion of UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who called the proposed legislation a “balanced” response to terrorism.
In June, Javid strongly rejected the idea that the bill might “criminalise thought,” if enacted.
The terror threat has remained high in the United Kingdom in recent years.
The country has faced a number of bloody terror acts, especially the attack on London’s Westminster Bridge and parliament grounds in March 2017, as well as a concert bombing in Manchester on May 22, 2017. (NAN)

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