Legislation
Terrorism Act 2006
The Terrorism Act contains a comprehensive package of measures designed to ensure that the police, intelligence agencies and courts have all the tools they require to tackle terrorism and bring perpetrators to justice.
The Act received Royal Assent on 30 March 2006. This Act was not a direct response to the attacks on London in July 2005 as new terrorism legislation had already been planned.
After the attacks, however, we consulted with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to make sure that their views were considered when we developed the legislation.
Content of the Terrorism Act
The Terrorism Act specifically aims to make it more difficult for extremists to abuse the freedoms we cherish, in order encourage others to commit terrorist acts.
The Act creates a number of new offences. Once it is brought into force, it will be a criminal offence to commit:
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Acts Preparatory to Terrorism
This aims to capture those planning serious acts of terrorism. -
Encouragement to Terrorism
This makes it a criminal offence to directly or indirectly incite or encourage others to commit acts of terrorism. This will include the glorification of terrorism, where this may be understood as encouraging the emulation of terrorism. -
Dissemination of Terrorist Publications
This will cover the sale, loan, or other dissemination of terrorist publications. This will include those publications that encourage terrorism, and those that provide assistance to terrorists. -
Terrorist training offences
This makes sure that anyone who gives or receives training in terrorist techniques can be prosecuted. The Act also criminalises attendance at a place of terrorist training.
The Act also makes amendments to existing legislation, including:
- Introducing warrants to enable the police to search any property owned or controlled by a terrorist suspect
- Extending terrorism stop and search powers to cover bays and estuaries
- Extending police powers to detain suspects after arrest for up to 28 days (though periods of more than two days must be approved by a judicial authority)
- Improved search powers at ports
- Increased flexibility of the proscription regime, including the power to proscribe groups that glorify terrorism. List of proscribed groups.
Read other documents related to the Terrorism Act.
Read the full text of the Terrorism Act on the Office of Public Sector Information website.
