Minister Fitzgerald publishes the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2014

· Bill will create three new terrorist offences
· Minister says “There can be no hiding place in democratic society for those who encourage, recruit or train others to carry out acts of terrorism”

Tuesday, 19 August 2014

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Ms. Frances Fitzgerald T.D., today published the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2014.

The Bill will transpose into Irish law an EU Council Framework Decision on combating terrorism. In particular, the Bill, when enacted will amend the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 to create the three new offences of:

1. Public Provocation to commit a Terrorist Offence
2. Recruitment for Terrorism
3. Training for Terrorism

These offences carry sentences of up to 10 years imprisonment on conviction on indictment.

Welcoming the new Bill, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, T.D., said “The publication of this Bill is an important milestone towards the enactment of this legislation and the transposition of the EU Framework Decision on combating terrorism. It also lays the groundwork for Ireland’s ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism in due course.”

The Minister went on to say that “We stand with our European colleagues in doing everything in our power to ensure that there are no gaps in our law that can be exploited by those who would inflict terror and mayhem on innocent people at home or abroad. There can be no hiding place in democratic society for those who encourage, recruit or train others to carry out acts of terrorism and we must never relent in our determination to use all resources at our disposal to root them out.”