The exact content of this Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech are to be clarified at a later date and ‘legislation will be brought forward to restore freedoms and civil liberties through the abolition of identity cards and the repeal of unnecessary laws.’ Some policies covered include:
- Greater accountability of the State to citizens
- Reducing Government intrusion into the lives of individuals by repealing unnecessary laws
- Restoring freedoms and civil liberties
- The right of peaceful protest without fear of criminalisation
- New legislation to protect privacy from the use of CCTV
- Accountability of bodies receiving public funding
- New legislation restricting the use of DNA database to protect innocent people whose samples have been stored
- Anti-terrorism legislation to strike a happy medium between protecting the public and protecting civil liberties
- Ensuring the storage of internet and email records is only done where there is good reason to do so.
Main elements of the Bill:
- Protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury
- Reform of libel laws to protect against freedom of speech
- Repeal of unnecessary criminal offences
- Greater transparency by extending the scope of the Freedom of Information Act
- Restoration of rights to non-violent protest
- Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation
- More regulation of CCTV
- Ending of storage of internet and email records without a bona fide reason