The British government risks stretching “counterterrorism” laws beyond their original purpose by using such powers against activist groups, a United Kingdom “terrorism” watchdog has said.
In his annual report examining the use of Britain’s “terrorism” legislation during 2024, independent reviewer Jonathan Hall said the subsequent banning of pro-Palestine group Palestine Action had exposed “real uncertainty” over whether serious damage to property alone should qualify as “terrorism”.
The law’s broad wording could without clearer limits risk pulling protest activity into “terrorism” policing, even where there is no intent to harm people, Hall said.
“There is no legal authority on what ‘serious damage to property’ means,” Hall wrote, saying the definition could extend beyond violent attacks to acts such as criminal damage, depending on how courts interpret the threshold.