Human Rights Watch slams stop and search

Human Rights Watch has released a comprehensive report into the Government’s controversial anti-terrorism stop and search powers.

The report – Without Suspicion Stop and Search under the Terrorism Act 2000 – runs to 64 pages and seeks to systematically dismantle the case for area-based stop and search under  section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows the police to stop and search without suspicion. Responding to proposals to cut the scope of the scheme, the reports states:

… we believe that even if the law were improved——if its geographic scope were permanently narrowed or its use restricted to specialist officers——the reforms would not entirely address the risk of arbitrary use, including profiling of ethnic minorities or stops of children. It is impossible to give clear guidance to officers on the use of a power that requires no reasonable suspicion. The risk of arbitrary use also makes the power incompatible with the traditional discretion given to UK police officers in course of their duties. The use of section 44 compromises the UK’’s human rights obligations and is counterproductive.