Terror law used to ban Palestine Action being used too widely, report warns
Major review finds current definition of terrorism is too broad
- A major three-year review by the Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law found that the official definition of terrorism is too broad and the Prevent anti-radicalisation scheme is "not fit for purpose".
- The commission, led by Sir Declan Morgan KC, recommended tightening the definition of terrorism, particularly for property damage, to focus on acts which cause “serious risk to life, national security, or public safety, or involving arson, explosives, or firearms”.
- It also advised that proscription measures, used to ban groups like Palestine Action, should only be for public protection and lapse after five years unless renewed, citing concerns about deterring lawful civic engagement.
- The report criticised the Prevent programme, noting that over 90 per cent of referrals since 2015 had no counter-terrorism concerns, often involving individuals with complex vulnerabilities rather than clear terror risks.
- The commission made 113 recommendations, including integrating Prevent into broader local authority-led safeguarding and increasing parliamentary scrutiny of group proscriptions.