UK anti-terror bill in Lords showdown News
UK anti-terror bill in Lords showdown

[JURIST] The government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair is bracing for a legislative showdown in the House of Lords Thursday as the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Bill returns to the upper chamber for reconsideration. The legislation was amended in key respects by the Lords earlier this week in an effort to ensure greater protection for civil liberties and impose strict time limits on proposed government detention powers [JURIST report]. On Wednesday, the UK Home Secretary and the Prime Minister made a number of additional concessions on the bill which enabled a revised version to pass the House of Commons, but the amended text [UK Parliament Commons amendments and reasons] still falls short of the Lords' demands and some peers have indicated they will "dig in" rather than approve the law. The unelected House of Lords can delay legislation but can ultimately be overruled by the Commons under the Parliament Act. BBC News has more.