Court Quashes Anti-Terror Rules

Britain’s High Court ruled Wednesday that “control orders” confining six terrorism suspects to partial house arrest was a breach of their rights, throwing out a key plank of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s security policy.

Under the orders, terrorism suspects who have not been charged with a crime have been electronically tagged, confined to their houses for most of the day and banned from using computers and telephones or meeting people without permission.

“The six control orders are incompatible with the respondents’ right to liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” Justice Jeremy Sullivan said.

“It follows that the secretary of state had no power to make the orders, and they must therefore all be quashed.”

Home Secretary John Reid said the control orders were necessary for national security and he would try to overturn the ruling on appeal, which is to be heard Monday.

The six men, whose names have not been released, remain subject to the restrictions until the appeal is decided.

Blair rushed the new powers through Parliament last year after courts threw out postSept. 11 emergency measures that had allowed police to confine foreign terrorism suspects in high-security prisons indefinitely without trial.

The control orders can apply to citizens as well as foreigners.