Terror Watchdog Says Starmer Terrorism Plan ‘Unacceptable for Free Speech’ – Guido Fawkes

Terror Watchdog Says Starmer Terrorism Plan ‘Unacceptable for Free Speech’

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UK terror watchdog Jonathan Hall KC has completed his review – started in January – into terror legislation and the government’s proposals to reform it. The main points:

• Terror legislation is already “very wide” and an expanded definition will “increase the possibility of inaccurate use and, in theory, abuse.”
• Rushed reform has an “extremely high” risk of unintended consequences.
• Including “violence clearly intended to terrorise” in the statutory definition would be too difficult. The term ‘terrorising’ is not useful for currently determining if something is terrorism.
• A redefinition would “alter the landscape” and “would risk major false positives – the prosecution of people who by no stretch of the imagination are terrorists – and extend terrorism liability into novel terrain.” Hall uses the example: “People swapping violent war footage would be at risk of encouraging terrorism, resulting in unacceptable restrictions on freedom of expression“…
• Terror legislation doesn’t prevent attacks as much as gun control.
• Police need to be “clear and honest.” Hall has hit out at the extremely low level of information supplied by authorities in the wake of the Rudakubana attack…
• There should be a new offence “where an individual with an intention of killing two or more people engages with any preparation to carry out that intention.” No need for communication.

The government says it will “urgently legislate to address the gaps identified.” The Law Commission is also conducting a review into contempt of court after the Rudakubana case. Labour will have to decide whether to push on with its own plan or create a new offence…