Jonathan Hall QC: UK Terrorism Legislation

Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Jonathan Hall QC: UK Terrorism Legislation

22nd January 2020 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

As the 21st century continues, it becomes ever more apparent that dealing with terrorism and non-state actors is a pressing international question of our times. The recent demise of so-called Islamic State territorially has left a legacy of foreign fighters, their partners and children, many of them attempting to return to the UK, while online radicalisation continues to pull UK citizens into engaging in terroristic activity. This has led among other things to a recent proposal to create a new definition of treason, specifically aimed at targeting foreign terrorist fighters.

With such issues in mind, The Henry Jackson Society is delighted to host Jonathan Hall QC, Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, to present his thoughts on issues with the current laws the British state uses to penalise such acts and reflect on whether UK terror legislation needs to be updated for the current era.

 

 

Jonathan Hall QC was appointed by the Home Secretary in May 2019 as the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation in succession to Max Hill QC. He is a barrister in independent practice with specialisms in policing, national security, extradition, international serious fraud and asset recovery. In recent years he has acted in high profile cases such as the first Unexplained Wealth Order cases, the recovery of assets stolen by General Abacha, the 7/7 and Brecon Beacon Inquests, the Thompson and Venables injunction breaches, and claims against the intelligence services.

 

 

Nikita Malik is the Director of the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism (CRT) at the Henry Jackson Society. She is an internationally recognised expert on countering violent extremism, terrorism, and hate-based violence, with a focus on youth deradicalisation. In her role, she has worked with key policy makers and government departments in the UK and globally. A key component of Nikita’s work focuses on the propagation of extremist material online, including on social media platforms and the Darknet. Her research has put forward a number of solutions to foster engagement between UK government policymakers and technology companies.

 

 

Alexander John Gervase Chalk (born 8 August 1976) is a British Conservative Party politician and former lawyer who was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cheltenham in 2015. Chalk is a Member of the Criminal Bar Association and the Serious Fraud Office Panel of Counsel, and sat on the Justice Select Committee. He was re-elected in the 2017 general election. He was again re-elected in the 2019 general election following a tight two-horse race between Chalk’s campaign and the Liberal Democrats.

 

EVENT SUMMARY

***

 

 

Jonathan Hall QC begins the talk by discussing the role of Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. It is about how current laws are operated, their effectiveness, their impact and unintended consequences. In his forthcoming report he talks about how the authorities should operate the powers that are given to them by the law. When thinking about what future terrorism legislation might be needed Jonathan Hall advised two aspects of terrorism be considered: technology and the management of known sources of risk. Encrypted metadata and auto destruction of communications will continue to exist, and in the future it might be possible for a terrorism investigation to be defeated by a suspect withholding their password. It is questionable whether existing law provides an adequate framework for deterring individuals from refusing access to information on their devices. A clear and workable offence to respond to this would be a more sensible alternative, and from a human rights perspective it would be more preferable than longer pre-trial detention periods. There is a need to establish a new statutory framework for biometrics. Advances in biometrics, with the right safeguards, could be used to enhance terrorist watch listing at ports and boarders.

There is a possibility of legislating on a certain category of extremist material. The wife of the London Bridge attacker accepted in evidence that her husband had pictures and videos of mass executions that he had forwarded to her and his sister. Jonathan Hall said he was initially surprised that possession of this material was not already an offence, but he stresses that it is important to be careful when labelling who is a terrorist. He questions whether what is needed is an offence which widens the sort of material that cannot be distributed.

Jonathan Hall goes on to address problems with the concepts of terrorism as an act and terrorism as an offence. The more successful the police are at detecting a precursor offence before an act of terrorism has been carried out, the less chance there is to prosecute for a serious offence. It must be recognised that these terrorists will be released back into society even after serving the full length of their sentence. Furthermore, prison does not affect individuals equally, and for some it may increase their status in a network and prolongs their activism. These consequences must be addressed. Existing criminal law, such as temporary exclusion orders, can be used and extended to help reduce this risk.

Details

Date:
22nd January 2020
Time:
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Website:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jonathan-hall-qc-uk-terrorism-legislation-tickets-73246170267

Venue

Committee Room 12, House of Commons
Westminster
London, SW1A 0AA United Kingdom

Organiser

Henry Jackson Society
Phone
+44 (0) 20 7340 4520
Email
rsvp@henryjacksonsociety.org

Other

SPEAKER
Jonathan Hall QC

RELATED EVENTS

Invisible Women, Silent Wars: Understanding Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Contemporary Proxy Warfare

19 March @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Around the world there are a number of 'silent wars' in which victims of the global rise in conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) are without justice. Political agendas, a lack of … Continued

Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class

20 March @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

In this vivid coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities – and what he learnt from seeing life … Continued

Israel Crisis Update: Time for UNRWA to be Replaced?

21 March @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Israel is reportedly seeking to disband UNRWA and work with other groups to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza. Sixteen countries suspended $450m in funding to the agency following allegations that 14 … Continued

ON TWITTER

HJS



Lost your password?

Not a member? Please click here