COUNTER TERRORISM BILL

The purpose of the bill is to:

• Ensure all available information can be used to fight terrorism
• Deal with terrorist suspects after they have been charged
• Make other changes to legislation to assist in the fight against terrorism

The main benefits of the bill are:

• It will improve public protection by strengthening arrangements for      monitoring terrorists after their release from prison and by improving security at key gas sites
• It will enable more successful prosecutions against terrorist suspects by introducing post charge questioning
• It will help the investigation of terrorism by ensuring the police and intelligence and security agencies have access to all the information they need by providing data sharing powers and making full use of DNA
• It will ensure the police have sufficient time to charge terrorist suspects and the right tools to deal with terrorist suspects who we cannot prosecute    
• It will help deter involvement in terrorism by increasing penalties for terrorist related offences and extending the powers to seize terrorist assets

The main elements of the bill are:

• A requirement for convicted terrorists to provide the police with personal information on their release from prison and to notify any changes to this information.
• Introduction of a foreign travel order that will enable convicted terrorists to be banned from travelling overseas;
• Changes to enable post charge questioning of terrorist suspects and the drawing of adverse inferences from a refusal to say something that is later relied on in court
• Enhanced sentences for those convicted of terrorist related offences
• Putting the police counter terrorist DNA database on a sound statutory footing and making other changes to enable the full use of DNA in terrorist cases
• Possible extension of pre-charge detention for terrorist suspects beyond the current limit of 28 days

The Bill would apply to:

• The United Kingdom

Related Documents:

• Oral statement on the bill and supporting paper and Lord Carlile's report on the definition of terrorism can be found at http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/legislation/

Existing Legislation in this area is:

• Terrorism Act 2000
• Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
• Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
• Terrorism Act 2006

Comments:

If you have any comments on the draft programme or individual bill being proposed, you can email them to:

legislation@commonsleader.x.gsi.gov.uk