A lawyer, Ansari, has initiated legal action against the police, alleging unlawful detention under the Terrorism Act. The challenge concerns his detention, questioning, and the seizure and examination of his work mobile phone. Ansari claims his detention was linked to his representation of a client challenging the proscription of Hamas, asserting his phone contains legally privileged information.
During his three-hour detention, Ansari states he was fingerprinted, photographed, and subjected to a DNA swab. He was also reportedly instructed to remove security features from his device or face arrest. Questioning reportedly focused on Palestine Action, another group recently proscribed under the Terrorism Act, as well as personal details. Following the submission of the Hamas application, Ansari was reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority by the Shadow Home Secretary and the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
As part of his claim, Ansari is seeking an urgent interim injunction to prevent the police from examining, sifting, or sharing the copy of his work mobile phone, citing its contents are “overwhelmingly covered by legal privilege,” pending the resolution of the legal challenge.
Source: www.theguardian.com