JusticeEnded 12 Sept
Should terrorist offences be treated simply as ordinary crimes?
Yes 10%No 90%790 votes cast
UK counter-terrorism law includes specific precursor offences such as preparation of terrorist acts and collection of information useful to terrorists, alongside ordinary crimes like murder. Offences can be sentenced with a terrorist connection, resulting in longer terms and restricted early release. Recent legislation like the 2026 Crime and Policing Act adds youth diversion orders and management for historic terrorist offenders, while debates continue on proportionality versus the need for early disruption of plots.
18 Opinions
In the current system democracy is suppressed by heavy social and legal policing of opinion. Terrorism laws are used too often against peaceful opposition of thought and not against genuine dangers to the British people. If anything many of the charges (not handing over a phone password or owning a PDF/book) are far lesser than normal low level crimes. Many of the laws need to go.
Terrorists seek to impose their opinions violently on those who don’t share their views & because they can’t win an argument. Typically describes the left that shies away from debate hates facts & often targets the man rather than the argument. They will dox , smear & abuse those who they see as a threat. That is also terrorism. We also have a terrorist government run by Fabians. Treason is a Capital crime.
Murder is murder, violence is violence - the harms are equivalent so the treatment by the state should be too
I suspect this motion is about getting Palestine Action activists off the hook for terrorism. "It's not really terrorism because their motives were good and they're middle-class". No. Terrorists commit crimes against the citizens and the state. Even their preliminary steps need harsh punishment.
Terrorists literally commit their acts for publicity and to get across a political message. Our media absolutely loves to feed into this as the hysteria and rage generates huge profits for them. They don't care about the actual victims of terrorist attacks. Prosecuting those who commit terrorist acts for murder grants the case the requisite legal confidentiality rules, meaning they will still be served justice while denying them the wall-to-wall publicity they desire.
Terrorism should be dealt with the death penalty.if people want to kill innocents they deserve to die
The question isn't proposing any change to laws or police/security service practices. It's about whether wall-to-wall hype in the press, hand-wringing speeches, emotional responses and a political imperative to "do something" are helpful. They are in fact, exactly what terrorists want, so why play into their hands?
Terrorism is against the whole country so can not be treated as ordinary. Also random and un caring as to who suffers or dies . Life with no release should be their reward
Terrorist crimes are not normal, and should not be treated as such. Ideologies of hate cannot usually be rehabilitated. For the protection of our society we must treat these as amongst the most serious of crimes, and act accordingly.
No. That is how you marginalise the offence. An attempted beheading is not a fight outside a pub. Precursor laws exist because the attack is planned. Call it terrorism and sentence it as such. Ordinary crime is a courtesy to the plot. The public can see the difference. Do not sand the word off the charge sheet.