A Bill to Confer further powers to gather and share information for counter-terrorism and other purposes; to make further provision about the detention and questioning of terrorist suspects and the prosecution and punishment of terrorist offences; to impose notification requirements on persons convicted of such offences; to amend the law relating to asset freezing proceedings under United Nations terrorism orders; to amend the law relating to inquests and inquiries; to amend the definition of “terrorism”; to amend the enactments relating to terrorist offences, control orders and the forfeiture of terrorist cash; to provide for recovering the costs of policing at certain gas facilities; to amend provisions about the appointment of special advocates in Northern Ireland; and for connected purposes.
<p>The Bill contains a number of provisions which the Government states are designed to enhance counter-terrorism powers. The main elements of the Bill are:</p><ul><li>a provision to allow the pre-charge detention of terrorist suspects to be extended from 28 days to 42 days in certain circumstances </li><li>changes to enable the post-charge questioning of terrorist suspects and the drawing of adverse inferences from silence </li><li>imposing requirements on people convicted of terrorist offences to let authorities know where they are living and any changes to their circumstances </li><li>enhanced sentencing of offenders who commit offences with a terrorist connection </li><li>provision for inquests and inquiries to be heard without a jury.</li></ul><p>The Bill would also confer further powers to gather and share information for counter-terrorism and other purposes, and amend the law relating to asset-freezing procedures.</p>