Overview
- The commission’s report, published on 11 November, concludes the statutory definition of terrorism is too wide and proposes a tighter test that limits property-damage cases to conduct posing serious risk to life, national security or public safety, or involving arson, explosives or firearms.
- It finds Prevent is not fit for purpose and should be integrated into a wider local safeguarding system, noting 8,778 referrals in 2024/25 (up 27% year on year) with many lacking a defined ideology and over 90% of referrals since 2015 showing no counter-terrorism concerns.
- Recommendations include five-year sunset reviews for proscribed groups, Intelligence and Security Committee scrutiny of classified evidence before bans, an end to bundling multiple organisations in one order, and charging under sections 12–13 only where clear intent is shown.
- Palestine Action’s July proscription under the Terrorism Act has led to about 2,000 protest-related arrests, and a High Court challenge to the ban is due later this month.
- The package also urges limits on depriving citizenship from those born or registered British as children, the repatriation of an estimated 55–72 UK nationals from Syria, enhanced powers for the terrorism law reviewer, and a national social cohesion strategy, with the Home Office defending the current framework.