What powers are there to combat terrorism in the UK?
Since Labour came to power in 1997, it has introduced five major pieces of terrorism legislation: the Terrorism Act 2000; the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005; the Terrorism Act 2006; and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. The government has also passed some more wide-ranging legislation, such as the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998, as well as legislation that, while not aimed explicitly or primarily at countering terrorism, nevertheless has had a significant impact on the powers available to the police and security services, such as the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
