War and sacrifice go hand in hand. In the First World War citizens contributed income towards Liberty Bonds; the Second World War saw the rationing of food and household items when trade was limited; the War on Terror demands the sacrifice of something much more crucial: human rights.

Just yesterday, over 1,000 gathered at the Institute of Education in London and half a dozen other venues across the UK to debate counter-terrorism laws and press freedom, amongst other things. Throughout the conference, one thing was clear: the measures people are willing to take for national security are diminishing. Policies like ID cards and presumed guilt were viewed as a necessary step to combat terrorism when first proposed, but now are subject to much opposition from human rights advocates.

With 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain as of November 2006, potentially the highest camera:person ratio (1:14) in the world, it comes as no surprise that people get the feeling they are being watched. Recent studies have shown that a heavily metropolitan area subjects its inhabitants to around 300 individual image capturings in a single day.

The progression of government surveillance and its infringements on individual liberties is something I will cover later in a series of articles, needless to say things are fast becoming critical. There is really no doubt about the importance of preventing acts of terror, but as the very pretense of the convention makes clear: a line must be drawn between true preventative measures and needless, intrusive paranoia.

Speakers at the conference included Helena Kennedy, QC, a Human rights lawyer and life peer, and Moazzam Begg, a former prisoner of Guantanamo bay. Mr. Begg spoke of fellow ex-detainee Binyam Mohamed who after his release this week alleged he was tortured during his stay; Mr. Begg said he was “eager to pursue justice” in this matter and investigate the claims that the British government had knowledge of this treatment.

Helena Kennedy, QC, surmised the general consensus of the guest speakers and the British public: “There is a general feeling that in creating a climate of fear people have been writing a blank cheque to government,” adding, “People feel the fear of terrorism is being used to take away a lot of rights.”. Her statement raises concerns about just how much people will do in the name of peace of mind, whether or not they are informed.

A rebuttal to similar questions about DNA Databases, ID cards and CCTV last year came from Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said that the measures were in place to protect a different right: the right to live free from crime.

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