A report examined the progress of European Union member states in implementing Framework Decision 2008-0919/JHA, which introduced three new offences of public provocation, recruitment, and training for terrorism. It said that, while most member states adopted the legislation, there were some uncertainties about full implementation and two member states (Ireland and Greece) had not adopted any implementing measures.
Source: Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Implementation of Council Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA of 28 November 2008 Amending Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on Combating Terrorism, European Commission
Links: Report | Working document
Date: 2014-Sep
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, in particular on the aspects of the Bill that related to increased sentences for terrorism offences, electronic monitoring following release on licence, extreme pornography, young offenders, a criminal courts charge, and contempt of court.
Source: Government Response to the Fourteenth Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Session 2013/14: Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, Cm 8928, Ministry of Justice, TSO
Date: 2014-Sep
A report by a committee of MPs said that crime on Britain's railways had decreased over the past decade. It said that this demonstrated the effectiveness of the specialist rail policing provided by the British Transport Police (BTP) and, although there were areas where the BTP could improve its performance, the overall model might be applied to other transport modes, such as aviation. The enquiry had highlighted that there were often vulnerable children and young people in and around railway stations, but the BTP currently had no targets in relation to child protection. The committee said that relevant bodies should work together to review existing practice in this area.
Source: Security on the Railway, Fifth Report (Session 2014–15), HC 428, House of Commons Transport Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release
Date: 2014-Sep
The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 was given Royal assent. The Act was fast-tracked through Parliament, and provided for: powers to introduce secondary legislation to replace the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/859); clarification that any company providing communication services to customers in the United Kingdom was obliged to comply with requests for communications data and interception warrants issued by the Secretary of State, irrespective of the location of the company providing the service; for a review of the operation and regulation of investigatory powers in relation to communications data and interception (to report by 1 May 2015); and for more frequent reporting from the Interception of Communications Commissioner.
Source: Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014, Home Office, TSO
Links: Act | Explanatory notes | Home Office press release | Ministerial statement | NUJ press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2014-Jul
The Queen's Speech set out the United Kingdom coalition government's legislative programme for 2014-15. It included plans for a Serious Crime Bill to: strengthen the powers of the police to prevent serious and organized crime, including the extension in scope of Serious Crime Prevention Orders and gang injunctions, and amendments to the Computer Misuse Act; improve the ability to recover criminal assets; extend the extra-territorial reach of legislation relating to female genital mutilation; allow certain suspected terrorism preparation offences that were committed overseas to be prosecuted in the United Kingdom; and make explicit the offence of cruelty likely to cause psychological harm to a child.
Source: Queen's Speech, 4 June 2014, columns 1-4, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Hansard | Prime Ministers Office briefing | Cabinet Office guidance | PMO/DPMO press release | Home Office press release | Northern Ireland Office press release | Scotland Office press release | Wales Office press release | Action for Children press release | Childrens Society press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2014-Jun
A paper presented an experimental analysis of data relating to Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which granted powers in relation to port and border controls and permitted passengers entering or leaving Great Britain or Northern Ireland to be stopped, questioned, and detained in order to determine their possible involvement in terrorism. The analysis examined race disproportionality, based on data on Schedule 7 examinations combined with ethnic group data from two sources: international air passengers from the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) Passenger Survey; and residents of England and Wales from the 2011 Census. The analysis was defined as experimental due to uncertainty over the ethnic profile of passengers passing through ports.
Source: Karen Hurrell, An Experimental Analysis of Examinations and Detentions under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, Research briefing paper 8, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jun
The Serious Crime Bill was published. The Bill was designed to: strengthen the powers of the police to prevent serious and organized crime, including the extension in scope of serious crime prevention orders and gang injunctions, and amendments to the Computer Misuse Act; improve the ability to recover criminal assets, and enable the seizure of drug-cutting agents; extend the extra-territorial reach of legislation relating to female genital mutilation; allow certain suspected terrorism preparation offences that were committed overseas to be prosecuted in the United Kingdom; make it an offence to possess an item that contained advice or guidance about committing sexual offences against children; and make explicit the offence of cruelty likely to cause psychological harm to a child.
Source: Serious Crime Bill, Home Office, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Links to supporting documents | Home Office press release | MOJ/HO press release | MOJ/HO press release
Date: 2014-Jun
The government began consultation on proposals to reform the Riot (Damages) Act 1886, based on recommendations from an independent review of the Act in 2013. The consultation would close on 1 August 2014.
Source: Consultation on Reform of the Riot (Damages) Act 1886, Home Office
Links: Consultation document | Impact assessment | 2013 review | Written ministerial statement
Date: 2014-Jun
An article examined levels of riot crimes across London in the six months after the 2011 riots. It argued that a significant drop in the incidence of this type of crime was consistent with a deterrence effect from the tougher sentencing imposed on those found guilty of involvement in the 2011 events.
Source: Brian Bell, Laura Jaitman, and Stephen Machin, 'Crime deterrence: evidence from the London 2011 riots', The Economic Journal, Volume 124 Number 576
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs examined aspects of the government's counter-terrorism response. Recommendations included: to improve measures to prevent radicalization and to dissuade young men from going to fight in Syria; for counter-terrorism policing to be moved from the Metropolitan Police to the National Crime Agency; for the the power to make individuals stateless not to be employed while the individual was in the United Kingdom; to improve oversight of the security and intelligence agencies; to introduce elections for the Commons membership of the Intelligence and Security Committee; and for the United Kingdom to lead in the establishment of an international terrorism platform, using existing resources and knowledge at Interpol.
Source: Counter-terrorism, Seventeenth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 231, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release | ACPO press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2014-May
A special issue of a journal examined practices of research and knowledge production in critical terrorism studies and related fields, asking what was known about terrorism and counterterrorism, and how it was known.
Source: Critical Studies on Terrorism, Volume 7 Issue 1
Links: Table of contents
Notes: Articles included:
Lee Jarvis and Michael Lister, 'State terrorism research and critical terrorism studies: an assessment'
Thomas Martin, 'Governing an unknowable future: the politics of Britain's Prevent policy'
Basia Spalek and Mary O'Rawe, 'Researching counterterrorism: a critical perspective from the field in the light of allegations and findings of covert activities by undercover police officers'
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined and challenged the understanding of 'radicalization', 'psychological vulnerability', and 'child protection' within the United Kingdom government's strategies to counter terrorism.
Source: Vicki Coppock and Mark McGovern, '"Dangerous minds"? Deconstructing counter-terrorism discourse, radicalisation and the "psychological vulnerability" of Muslim children and young people in Britain', Children & Society, Volume 28 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Apr