• Home /
• News /
• 2002 /
• May /
• UK arrests and detentions under terrorism laws

UK arrests and detentions under terrorism laws

01 May 2002

Since the Terrorism Act 2000 came into force on 19 February 2001 a total of 155 people have been arrested and/or detained under UK anti-terrorist laws, mostly under this Act rather than the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 which was rushed through parliament before Christmas 2001.

Out of the total of 155 people only 10 have been charged with terrorist offences and nine are in indefinite detention.

The figures

144 people have been arrested (under Terrorism Act 2000) of these:

98 people have been released without charge
10 people have been charged with terrorist offences (undergoing/awaiting trial)
36 people have been charged with offences not related to terrorism

in addition:

11 people have been "detained" (under Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001) of these two people have "voluntarily left the UK" and nine are in indefinite detention.

Written answer

UK Home Office Minister, Lord Rooker, said in a written answer (House of Lords, 7.5.02) that:

"On information currently available, 144 person have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, of which 46 have been charged with offences. There have been no convictions for terrorist offences to date but 10 people are undergoing or awaiting trial for such offences.

There have been no exercises of the power of arrest under the terms of the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001 but people have been detained under Part 4 of the Act. Eight were detained in December 2001, one in February 2002 and two in April 2002. Of the total detained, two have voluntarily left the United Kingdom; the other nine remain in detention."