After court order, UK seeks emergency law to deny terror suspects access to bank accounts

Britain seeks urgent terror finance freeze

LONDON — Britain’s Treasury says it will rush through new legislation after a court ruled the way it freezes the bank accounts of suspected terrorists was unlawful.

Treasury minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry said in a statement Thursday that temporary legislation should be passed next week, and that Parliament will then consider a longer-term solution.

The Supreme Court ruled last week that the asset-freezing system was unlawful. At a hearing Thursday, it said the previous laws must be overturned immediately.

Suspects, however, will not be able to withdraw money before new legislation is passed, after the Treasury asked banks to cooperate in the meantime.

McCarthy-Fry says about 150,000 ($238,000) of assets held by terrorism suspects has been frozen.