Government threat to our photographic freedoms (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Government threat to our photographic freedoms

February 9, 2009 1:34 PM

Local civil liberties campaigner Councillor Greg Foxsmith

Civil liberties campaigners in Islington have condemned a new law making it illegal to take pictures of police officers, punishable by fines and up to ten years in prison. Local defence lawyer and Liberal Democrat councillor Greg Foxsmith called the Government's new legislation "illiberal, draconian, and Orwellian."

A new Counter-Terrorism law, set to commence on the 16th of February, will increase the anti-terrorism powers used today by police officers to stop photographers, including press photographers, from taking pictures of the police, armed forces, or intelligence services for "reasons related to terrorism". There are fears that this will be misused to harass ordinary photographers.

Police and Community Support Officers have already been accused of misusing terrorism powers relating to photography by stopping or harassing journalists, sightseers, and even the Member of Parliament for Croydon, for taking photographs in public places.

Islington defence lawyer Greg Foxsmith, who has successfully defended peaceful protesters wrongly charged with public order offences, said:

"If the Labour Government keeps bringing in illiberal, draconian, and Orwellian new laws that give the police powers to harass ordinary people, we will see confidence in the police plummet further.

"It is now common police practice to film demonstrators, as I experienced most recently at the friendly Climate Change March and rally. And I have previously had cases of concocted charges thrown out where police brutality has been caught on film by fellow demonstrators, or even just film showing the defendant not doing the act alleged against them. But from now on heaven help you if you try and film the police. "

"Labour Party politicians claim as usual that this is a valuable tool in the fight against terrorism- but that is nonsense. It will be used against ordinary citizens, just as other powers under the Terrorism Act have already been."