permissible period of deprivation of liberty by the police for identification purposes from 12 to 24 hours. Furthermore, an accused person may be held in detention for five days under a reasoned decree adopted by an investigating judge before being allowed to contact an attorney (arts. 2, 13 and 16). The State party should take effective measures to ensure that the fundamental legal safeguards for persons detained by the police are respected. The State party should reduce the maximum period during which a person may be held in custody following arrest on a criminal charge, even in exceptional circumstances, to less than the present five days. Furthermore, the State party should ensure that persons in police custody benefit from an effective right of access to a lawyer, as from the very outset of their deprivation of liberty. National human rights institution (8) The Committee notes that the State party has not yet established a national human rights institution. However, it takes note of the approval of the Chamber of Deputies on 4 April 2007 of Senate Act No. 1463 on the establishment of a national institution for the protection of human rights, including a Guarantor for the rights of detainees (art. 2). The State party should proceed with the establishment of an independent national human rights institution, in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), annexed to General Assembly resolution 48/134. In this respect, the State party is encouraged to promptly adopt the necessary legislation. Detention of asylum-seekers and non-citizens (9) The Committee is concerned at the detention policy applied to asylum-seekers and other non-citizens, including reports that they often face lengthy periods of detention in the Temporary Detention Centres (CPTs) and the “temporary stay and assistance centres” (CPTAs). In this respect, the Committee regrets the change in the legislative framework resulting from Law No. 189/2002 (the “Bossi-Fini law”) which permits the detention of undocumented migrants and doubles the detention period (from 30 to 60 days) (arts. 2, 11 and 16). The State party should take effective measures to ensure that detention of asylum-seekers and other non-citizens is used only in exceptional circumstances or as a measure of last resort, and then only for the shortest possible time. The State party should also ensure that courts carry out a more effective judicial review of the detention of these groups. Access to a fair and prompt asylum procedure (10) The Committee welcomes the new draft law on asylum (NO. C. 2410) which was submitted to the Chamber of Deputies on 19 March 2007, and it notes with appreciation the statement by the State party’s delegation that the adoption of a comprehensive legislation on political asylum is under due consideration. However, the Committee is concerned that some asylum-seekers may have been denied the right to apply for asylum and to have their asylum claim assessed individually in a fair and satisfactory procedure (arts. 2 and 16). The State party should adopt appropriate measures to ensure that all asylum-seekers have access to a fair and prompt asylum procedure. In this respect, the Committee recalls the obligation of the State party to ensure that the situation of each migrant is processed individually, and the Committee further recommends that the State party proceed with the adoption of a comprehensive legislation on political asylum. Non-refoulement (11) The Committee notes with concern that individuals may not have been able, in all cases, to enjoy full protection under the relevant articles of the Convention in relation to expulsion, return or deportation to another country. The Committee is particularly concerned at reports of forcible and collective expulsions from the island of Lampedusa to Libya of persons not of Libyan origin (arts. 3 and 16). 53