What groups are proscribed by the Anti-terrorism laws?
The Terrorism Act 2000 gave the Home Secretary new powers to proscribe (ban) groups. In the past the Prevention of Terrorism Act (now repealed) banned a number of groups in Northern Ireland and the new Act continues those bans but also allows the Home Secretary to ban organisations he thinks are “concerned in terrorism”. The Terrorism Act 2006 gave the Home Secretary the power to proscribe groups that glorify terrorism. Click here for an up-to-date list of all proscribed groups on the Home Office website. It is a criminal offence to belong to such a banned group (or even to “profess to belong” to such a group). It is also an offence to encourage others to support a banned organisation, to raise funds for it or to arrange a meeting for it. It is even an offence to arrange a meeting which will be addressed by a person “who belongs or professes to belong to a proscribed organisation”.
