France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday Oct 03,2017 overwhelmingly approved a new counter-terrorism bill, making permanent several controversial measures in place under a nearly two-year-old state of emergency.
It will allow the authorities to confine suspected jihadist sympathisers to their neighbourhoods, close places of worship accused of condoning terror and carry out more on-the-spot identity checks -- all without the prior approval of a judge.
The legislation has encountered little resistance from a public traumatised by a string of jihadist attacks, despite criticism it will undermine civil liberties
The bill was approved on its first reading in the lower house of parliament by 415 votes to 127, with 19 abstentions.
It is expected to become law before the state of emergency declared after the 2015 Paris attacks elapses on November 1 after being extended six times.
Since 2012, France has progressively tightened its legal arsenal to tackle terror threats, passing around 10 different laws.
"The concentration of powers in the hands of the executive and weakening of judicial oversight is not a new characteristic of France's counter-terrorism efforts," said Benedicte Jeannerod, France director for Human Rights Watch.
"But the normalisation of emergency powers crosses a new line."
Tuesday's vote comes after more bloodshed this weekend, when a suspected Tunisian radical stabbed two 20-year old women in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille.
The attack by 29-year-old Ahmed Hanachi, who was shot dead by troops on anti-terrorism patrol, brings to 241 the number of people killed in attacks claimed by, or attributed to, jihadists since January 2015.
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