CBC, 11 March 2009

The Conservative government will again try to bring in two controversial elements of an anti-terrorism bill that would extend police and judicial powers.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson gave parliamentary notice late Tuesday that he will attempt to bring in the provisions, which could be introduced in the House of Commons as early as Thursday.

The measures would give police the power to make preventive arrests, without a warrant, of anyone suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

They would also require anyone with information relevant to the investigation of a terrorist act to appear before a judge in secret for investigative hearings. Witnesses could go to jail if they don't comply.

The provisions were part of the Liberal government's Anti-Terrorism Act, which went into effect in December 2001 following the Sept. 11 hijackings in the United States.

Critics of the measures said they go too far and trample on civil liberties. Those who support the provisions said they are important tools for fighting terrorism.

The law contained a so-called five-year sunset clause so that those provisions would be reviewed.

When the measures were set to expire, the Conservatives proposed to extend them for three more years. But in February 2007, the Liberals joined other opposition parties in voting them down.

Stéphane Dion, the Liberal leader at the time, had ordered his caucus to vote against the extension, citing concerns about people's civil liberties.

The vote initially caused some division among Liberals, with some former cabinet ministers coming out in support of extending the measures.

Months later, in an effort to garner Liberal support, Nicholson reintroduced the bill with some slight modifications to the contentious provisions.

He said police officers would have to satisfy a judge that they have used every other method to get the information that they need. He added that the attorney general would also report to Parliament on a yearly basis as to how the bill is working.

But that bill failed to become law before last October's federal election was called.