A panel of Law Lords ruled in favor of nine Muslim men who were appealing against being held without charge under Britain's Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act on suspicion of being involved in terrorist attacks.

The Act, introduced in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, allows British police to detain foreign terrorist suspects indefinitely without charge or trial if they are suspected of involvement in international terrorism and opt not to leave the country, said Xinhua.

The Law Lords ruled that such detention on suspicion alone runs contrary to European human rights laws.

The ruling, which deals a severe blow to Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, came just hours after Home Secretary David Blunkett -- the architect of the government's anti-terrorism policies -- resigned over allegations that he fast-tracked the visa application of his former lover's nanny.

Though the nine men are not expected to be released immediately, political analysts believe the government will now come under enormous pressure to change the law.