Legislation Overview

– Terrorism Act 2000: widens the definition of terrorism to apply to domestic terrorism and include any "political, religious or ideological" cause that uses or threatens violence against people or property; creates new offences of inciting terrorism; enhances police powers, including stop and search and pre-charge detention for seven days; outlaws terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda.


– Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: initially enabled the home secretary to indefinitely detain, without charge or trial, foreign nationals who are suspected of terrorism – a system now replaced with control orders after the House of Lords ruling in A and Others; extends executive powers over freezing bank accounts and assets of suspected terrorists.


– Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005: introduces control orders, which allow the government to restrict the activities of individuals it suspects of "involvement in terrorist-related activity", but for whom there is not sufficient evidence to charge.


– Terrorism Act 2006: extends the pre-charge detention period from 14 to 28 days (the Criminal Justice Act 2003 had increased it from seven to 14 days); introduces a prohibition on the "glorification" of terrorism.


– Counter-Terrorism Act 2008: enables post-charge questioning of terrorist suspects; allows constables to take fingerprints and DNA samples from individuals subject to control orders; amends the definition of terrorism by inserting a racial cause.