According to recently released government documents, officials from the British Home Office have started to study seriously French anti-terrorism laws as a basis for future legislation in the United Kingdom.
In particular, they are looking at the French crime of "association de malfaiteur" or associating with a wrongdoer -- an offense carrying a prison term for someone who is simply connected with a suspected terrorist.
Speaking before the House of Commons earlier this year, Home Secretary David Blunkett said such a law could prevent people from being drawn into terrorist support networks.
He suggested that people found to be "connected" with suspected terrorists - either in person or through organizations - could be warned, and then jailed if they persist in maintaining those links.
"Let us suppose that it were possible to seek to prevent someone from being engaged in a low-level connection or association with terror by preventing them from using a particular bank balance ... or a telephone or computer," Blunkett said.
"Let us suppose that an order were placed on that person to preclude them from using those facilities for a particular length of time. That would be a civil order, but if they breached it, it would be a criminal offence."
In recent days, media here have quoted sources in the British government as saying such a law would help cripple terrorist networks and keep people from "hanging around" with undesirables.
Such a law would cover not only meeting in person, but communicating via e-mail, phone or even fundraising.
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