Call for Evidence |
WHAT THIS CONSULTATION IS ABOUT
Setting the scene
The threat level from terrorism in the UK is at "substantial", meaning an attack is likely; the number of potential terrorism suspects on the security services' radar remains at about 3,000; and the Security Services report disrupting 31 late-stage attack plots over the last four years alone. In addition, recent developments and events - including the surge in referrals relating to right-wing extremism to the counter-radicalisation Channel programme, the tragic murders of Jo Cox and David Amess, arguments over the deprivation of citizenship of British nationals who travelled to conflict zones in Syria, mounting tensions in Northern Ireland, controversies on the extension of counter-terrorism to other political and social causes, and to misogynistic violence, - demonstrate the ever-present risk of polarisation in the public discourse about terrorism in the UK.
It is over 20 years since the Lloyd Inquiry into the need for specific and permanent terrorism legislation and 15 years since the first publication of the UK counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Legislation, policy and practice continue to evolve and expand in response to developments in the nature of the threats from terrorism and changes in society. The scope of counter terrorism has expanded to encompass policies for preventing or countering violent extremism (P/CVE). New laws and policies have been subject to different levels of Parliamentary and judicial scrutiny and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation provides an important avenue for raising concerns and influencing policy change. While there have been Government initiated reviews and revisions of the CONTEST strategy, and elements of the strategy such as Prevent, there has not been a broad independent public consultation on the overall picture of counter-terrorism law, policy, and strategy, their implementation and their impact.
The threat level from terrorism in the UK is at "substantial", meaning an attack is likely; the number of potential terrorism suspects on the security services' radar remains at about 3,000; and the Security Services report disrupting 31 late-stage attack plots over the last four years alone. In addition, recent developments and events - including the surge in referrals relating to right-wing extremism to the counter-radicalisation Channel programme, the tragic murders of Jo Cox and David Amess, arguments over the deprivation of citizenship of British nationals who travelled to conflict zones in Syria, mounting tensions in Northern Ireland, controversies on the extension of counter-terrorism to other political and social causes, and to misogynistic violence, - demonstrate the ever-present risk of polarisation in the public discourse about terrorism in the UK.
It is over 20 years since the Lloyd Inquiry into the need for specific and permanent terrorism legislation and 15 years since the first publication of the UK counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Legislation, policy and practice continue to evolve and expand in response to developments in the nature of the threats from terrorism and changes in society. The scope of counter terrorism has expanded to encompass policies for preventing or countering violent extremism (P/CVE). New laws and policies have been subject to different levels of Parliamentary and judicial scrutiny and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation provides an important avenue for raising concerns and influencing policy change. While there have been Government initiated reviews and revisions of the CONTEST strategy, and elements of the strategy such as Prevent, there has not been a broad independent public consultation on the overall picture of counter-terrorism law, policy, and strategy, their implementation and their impact.