Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill

This briefing on the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill has been prepared for the second reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons. This is due to take place on 7 June 2011.

The Bill would abolish the system of control orders, established under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, and replace it with a new regime designed to protect the public from terrorism, called Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures. The Coalition’s Programme for Government had stated that the Government would “urgently review control orders as part of a wider review of counter-terrorist legislation, measures and programmes.” These reforms were heralded by the Government’s Review of Counter-Terrorism and Security Powers, published in January 2011.

Some critics of the control order regime have expressed a degree of scepticism about the new proposals, insofar as they retain the closed hearings used under the control order regime and sanctions would still be imposed on terrorist suspects outside the criminal justice system.