Home Secretary reconsiders criminal terrorism proposals News
Home Secretary reconsiders criminal terrorism proposals

In a letter [PDF text] sent Thursday to opposition colleagues, UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke [official profile] amended a three-week old proposal [PDF text] to criminalize a broad range of activities that could be interpreted as “glorifying” terrorism. The proposal was intended as an addition to an official draft of a new Terrorism Bill [PDF text; Home Office overview] that was agreed upon by opposition parties in late July 2005 in response to the London subway bombings [JURIST archive]. Clarke changed the language of the proposal so that the state must prove that an accused person intended to incite future terrorist acts. Clarke will continue to support another proposal which would allow police to detain terrorism suspects without bringing formal charges for up to three months. The new Terrorism Bill, which will strengthen the current legislation [PDF text] enacted last Feburary, will be debated by Parliament when the summer recess ends next Monday. From London, the Telegraph has local coverage.