NCJ Number
191576
Date Published
September 2001
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This paper provides the main statistics on the use of powers under the Prevention of Terrorism legislation in Great Britain and shows the results of those detentions.
Abstract
The 1989 Prevention of Terrorism Act in Great Britain gave police the power to arrest suspected terrorists and detain them for 48 hours with the possibility of extending that time for a maximum of five more days and to examine travelers entering or leaving the country for the purpose of determining whether they had been involved in terrorist activities. Tables in the document showed: persons detained in connection with Irish terrorism; persons detained in connection with international terrorism; persons detained and extensions of detention, by police force area; exclusion orders; persons detained and charged with offenses under the Prevention of Terrorism legislation; persons detained and charged with offenses other than the Prevention of Terrorism legislation; persons detained and charged, by offense and year; length of detention for those not charged, deported, excluded, or removed; extensions of detentions, by length of extensions; and persons examined for more than 1 hour but not detained. The main points of the tables included: 1) during 2000, 7 people were detained in connection with Irish terrorism that figure is down from 12 in 1999 and is the lowest number recorded since 1974; 2) 39 people were detained in connection with international terrorism, which is down from 87 in 1999; 3) 26 of 46 people detained in 2000 were charged with an offense; and 4) 521 people were examined for more than 1 hour, but not detained. Of those, 34 were charged with an offense. Notes