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November 29, 2005
France: National Assembly Approves Sarkozy's Anti-Terror Laws
We brought you last month the proposals drawn up by Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister, for dealing with terrorism.
The basics of the laws involve increased ability for video surveillance, travel controls, with railway, airway and shipping companies keepinng accurate documentation of people travelling.
Telephone and internet rules, making compulsory for internet cafes the information of connections, as well as service providers of all calls, with details retained for a year.
Increases in the penalties for terrorism offences, and forfeiture of nationality for a period of from 10 to 15 years after a person has become naturalised as a French resident, and rapid procedures to enable freezing of assets for a period of six months, possibly lengthened by more with approval from a Paris judicial review.
These basics are regarded as permanent measures - other more "sensitive" measures are to be subject to a "rendezvous clause", meaning that they will, once passed, be reviewed in 2008. "Sensitive" clauses include giving police access to databases on passports, visas, identity cards, number plates, residency permits, refusals of entry etc.
Also included as "Rendezvouz clauses" are: automatic surveillance of vehicles, with registration plate numbers photographed, and the numbers of cars to be relayed to a database of stolen vehicles. Allowing authorised individuals to have access to telephone and internet information.
Le Figaro announces that these proposals were submitted before the French National Assembly on Tuesday, and were agreed by a majority.
The minority Greens and the Communists voted against the proposals, and the Socialist Party (PS) abstained. But their gripes were outnumbered with the total votes being 373 for the proposals, and only 27 against.
The text of the proposals, which was debated in urgency (only one reading before the assembly) will be sent to the Senate where it will be set for discussion in mid-December. The government wishes for the final adoption of the law before the end of the year.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 29, 2005 9:46 PM
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