Editing Terrorism Act 2000 (section)

==Definition of terrorism==
Terrorism is defined, in the first section of the Act, as follows:

{{boxquote|'''Section 1.''' –
:(1) In this Act "terrorism" means the use or threat of action where-
::(a) the action falls within subsection (2),
::(b) the use or threat is designed to influence the government [or an international governmental organisation]<ref>Words in square brackets inserted by [[Terrorism Act 2006]].</ref> or to intimidate the public or a section of the public, and
::(c) the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious[, racial]<ref>Word in square brackets inserted by [[Counter-Terrorism Act 2008]].</ref> or ideological cause.

:(2) Action falls within this subsection if it-
::(a) involves serious violence against a person,
::(b) involves serious damage to property,
::(c) endangers a person's life, other than that of the person committing the action,
::(d) creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public, or
::(e) is designed seriously to interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.

:(3) The use or threat of action falling within subsection (2) which involves the use of firearms or explosives is terrorism whether or not subsection (1)(b) is satisfied.}}

Sections (2)(b) and (e) have been criticised<ref>{{cite journal|last=Gearty|first=Conor|title=11 September 2001, Counter-terrorism, and the Human Rights Act|journal=Journal of Law and Society| date=March 2005 |volume=32|issue=1|pages=18–33|doi=10.1111/j.1467-6478.2005.312_1.x}}</ref> as falling well outside the scope of what is generally understood to be the [[definition of terrorism]], i.e. acts that require life-threatening violence.<ref>{{cite web|author=Iris Schaechter |url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_definitions.html |title=UNODC – Terrorism Definitions |date=16 February 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216050500/http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_definitions.html |archive-date=16 February 2006 }}</ref>

Prior to this, terrorism was defined in an Act as a footnote, such as Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 (c. 18) section 2(2):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/Ukpga_19930018_en_1.htm |title=Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 1993 CHAPTER 18 |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom }}</ref>

<blockquote>"acts of terrorism" means acts of persons acting on behalf of, or in connection with, any organisation which carries out activities directed towards the overthrowing or influencing, by force or violence, of Her Majesty's government in the United Kingdom or any other government de jure or de facto.</blockquote>

and Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 (c. 4) section 20(1):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1989/Ukpga_19890004_en_6.htm |title=Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 (c. 4) |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom }}</ref>

<blockquote>In this Act "terrorism" means the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public or any section of the public in fear.</blockquote>

In the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996, the criminal offences referred to as terrorism are provided as an exhaustive list of over 70 items.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1996/ukpga_19960022_en_1|title=Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996 1996 CHAPTER 22|publisher=Office of Public Sector Information|access-date=2 December 2009}}</ref>

This move to establish a sound definition of terrorism in the law made it possible to build an entirely new set of police and investigatory powers into incidents of this kind, beyond what they could do for ordinary violent offences.

The inclusion in its definition of the phrase ''or threat'' mirrors the common law, as it was codified with respect to written words, in [[27 Geo. 2]]. c. 15 (1754) and again in [[4 Geo. 4]]. c. 54 (1823).<ref>Sir [[William Oldnall Russell]]: "[[Russell on Crime|A Treatise on Crimes and Indictable Misdemeanors]]" vol 2, ch.3, p.576-7 (2nd ed, 1828)</ref>