42 day detention - Protection v. Freedom

Tony Robinson's Crime and Punishment programme does it again! How topical can you be. Tony describes the setting up of the Magna Carta, which decreed that no-one can be detained without trial for more than 24 hours. 24 hours! And here we are considering 42 days...

The BBC website points out that it was as recently as 2000 that we introduced the basic 48 hours detention, with the ability to extend it to 7 days if the courts gave permission. In 2003 this increased to 14 days, in 2006 to 28 days.

So, in just 8 years, we have moved from 24 hours to a possible 42 days.

What are we thinking? Do we hold our freedom so lightly that we are prepared to throw it away.

Who needs terrorists to take away our freedom. Just intimidate us for a few years and we will do it all by ourselves!