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Archbishop stopped and searched eight times
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UNHAPPY: The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, told ministers that he had been stopped and searched by police eight times.
Speaking at the Lords on the Terrorist Asset-Freezing Bill, Sentamu, who was born in Uganda, claimed that he was stopped and searched by police because they believed he didn't "look like one of us".
Talking about one experience, he said: "When the policeman suddenly realised that I was a bishop, that didn't stop me being stopped and searched."
Sentamu also felt that police should not be able to freeze personal accounts of a suspected terrorist and called for an automatic judicial review of asset-freezing orders because "otherwise you have no money and your assets have gone".
He added: “I am not very happy with this very low bar in court. I think you are going in a wrong way.”
Despite his personal gripes with the current system, he said that he did recognise that terrorism is a serious crime and those convicted should be dealt with accordingly.
He said: “When you are taken before a court in this country and people are about to seize your assets, you will know that it has been done justly and not simply on reasonable grounds to suspect.”
Published: 28 July 2010
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