Suspect Community: People's Experience of the Prevention of
01 January 1991
Suspect Community: People's Experience of the Prevention of
Terrorism Acts in Britain
libdoc November=1993
Author: Hillyard, Paddy
Publisher: London, etc.: Pluto Press 1993 pp xv + 300
Keywords: Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) Civil Liberties Liberty
Social Research
Contents:
1 The Study in context
2 Policing Ports and Airports: Examination and Detention Powers
3 Examinations and Detentions at Ports and Airports: People's
Experiences
4 Arrest, Search and Detention Powers
5 Arrest and Detention under the PTA Two Case Studies
6 Arrests: People's Experiences
7 In Custody: People's Experiences
8 Interrogation: Gathering Information
9 Exclusion: The Law
10 Internal Exile: People's Experiences
11 The Impact of the Acts
12 An Assessment
The first PTA was introduced in 1974, following the Birmingham pub
bombings. Since then, more than 7,000 people have been arrested and
detained under the PTA. Most have been released without any further
action being taken against them. (...) But are such extraordinary
powers needed in the fight against terrorism? Have the highly
coercive forms of policing required to implement the Acts done
anything to curtail the levels of political violence in Britain? Or
have detentions under the Acts actually led to abuses of civil
liberties in the community at large - and the Irish community in
particular?