Amateur Photographer Magazine

 Police anti terror photography guidance delayed - PAGE 1: Home Office photo guidance delayed

Thursday 4th June 2009

Chris Cheesman

Home Office guidance designed to ensure that police officers do not misuse anti-terrorism legislation when dealing with photographers, has been delayed, Amateur Photographer (AP) has learnt.

In March, counter-terrorism minister Vernon Coaker invited the magazine to help draft guidance relating to officers' use of Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 which came into force in February.

The Home Office plans to distribute the guidance, in the form of a circular, to all police forces.

The new law makes a photograph of a police constable a potential crime if police deem it likely to be useful to a terrorist.

But a Home Office source said yesterday that a draft copy of the police circular has been delayed owing to a wider review linked to last month's announcement that police plan to scale back their use of routine stop-and-search powers.

The move, by the Metropolitan Police's watchdog, followed a review of officers' use of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act amid widespread criticism from sections of the public.

However, the Home Office assured AP that it still plans to issue the Section 76 guidance, a draft copy of which will be sent to the magazine for comment ahead of its publication and distribution to police nationwide.

And, the source claimed, the guidance would not be put in jeopardy by this week's resignation of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Turn to page 2 for comments from the counter-terrorism minister about Section 76.

RELATED ARTICLES
Police to scale back stop and search
Government issues stop and search pledge.
Photographers face wider anti-terror curbs
AP meets anti-terrorism minister
Photographers 'guilty' until proved innocent, says lawyer
Photographers stage Scotland Yard protest
Police given stop-and-search guidance
MP launches petition in Parliament
Photography in public campaign escalates

Got an opinion on this story? Why not post a comment on our news message boards

Back to index