Government rushes to pass emergency legislation to stop terrorists being released early after Streatham attack

As many as 50 terrorists could be freed from jail this year
Convicted terrorist Sudesh Amman attacked people on Streatham High Street
PA/Sky News
Ellena Cruse5 February 2020

The Government must pass emergency legislation by the end of the month to prevent the automatic release of any further convicted terrorists following the Streatham attack.

A target date of February 27 has been set to rush the Bill through Parliament.

It is understood that one offender is due for release on February 28, with around five expected to be let out in March unless the new law is in force.

A Whitehall official said: “If the legislation is passed by February 27 we can prevent the automatic release of any further terrorist suspects who might pose a threat to the public.”

Streatham terror attack - In pictures

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Sudesh Amman, a convicted terrorist, wore a fake suicide belt as he grabbed a knife from a shop in Streatham High Road, south London, on Sunday, before stabbing two bystanders.

The 20-year-old had been jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, but was freed automatically halfway through his sentence less than a fortnight ago.

He was put under 24-hour police surveillance on his release, and sources have described him as an “extremely concerning individual”.

Britain’s most senior police officer said he was able to stab two people while under surveillance because the operations are not “man-to-man marking”.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee that a time delay in responding would be “inevitable” if someone did something “totally unexpectedly”.

On Monday, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said urgent legislation was needed to make sure offenders serve two thirds of their sentence before they are considered eligible for release, at which point their case would be considered by a panel of specialist judges and psychiatrists at the Parole Board.

There are 224 terrorists in prison in Britain, with most thought to be holding Islamist extremist views, according to the latest published figures to the end of September.

As many as 50 terrorists could be freed from jail this year, figures suggest.

Screengrab of an armed police officer on Streatham High Road.
PA

The Whitehall official said the attack in Streatham highlighted an issue surrounding terrorists with relatively short prison sentences.

“There aren’t many terrorist offenders who will be in that similar kind of scenario but if there are any then that’s too many and that’s what we are looking to fix,” the official said.

The Government plans to introduce the legislation in the Commons on Tuesday next week, with the aim of clearing the House by the time it rises for recess on Thursday.

The Bill will then go to the Lords on February 25 with the aim of getting royal assent on February 27.

Robert Buckland said the urgent legislation was needed
Sky News

“There are no terrorist offenders who are due to receive automatic release before that date,” the official said.

The source said the Lords, where the Government does not have a majority, should “wish to carry out its scrutiny quickly” as “we cannot continue to be in a position where the state has no power to block the release of terrorists who continue to pose a threat to the public”.

The Government has not ruled out derogating, effectively suspending, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in order to apply the new measures.

Lawyers have warned the move would open the Government up to legal challenges from those already behind bars who were sentenced under the current rules.

But officials said they are confident they have the flexibility to change how an offender serves their sentence, by extending the time they spend behind bars rather than on licence.

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