Taking liberties

 12.06.2008 23:32   ireland.com

FINDING THE right balance between individual rights and state security is an ancient and abiding issue in the definition of liberty. It was brought to a new pitch in Britain on Wednesday evening, when the House of Commons voted by 315 to 306 in favour of legislation to introduce a 42-day, pre-charge detention period for terrorist suspects. The government majority was secured only with the help of the nine Democratic Unionist Party MPs, who unconvincingly said they supported it on merit and not because of other concessions.

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