Westminster Government says terrorist offenders bill will apply to Northern Ireland - despite failing to get backing from Stormont

The new legislation means that court orders restricting the movements of suspected terrorists could be renewed indefinitely.

The bill would lower the standard of proof to impose the orders, known as TPims, and remove the current two-year limit that applies to them.

Suspects would also have to register all electronic devices at their home address.

It would also ensure that terror offenders will only be considered for release once they have served two-thirds of their term and with the approval of the Parole Board.

The measure were introduced in response to an Islamist-related terrorist incident in London earlier this year.

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie wrote to Chris Philp MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Westminster’s Ministry of Justice, to express his concern that the legislation would not cover Northern Ireland.

In a letter in responsse, Mr Philp said: “I have been in discussion with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister over a number of months, and she has approached this legislation collaboratively - so it is with regret that we have arrived at a position where we have not been able to secure the Northern Ireland Executive’s support.

“However, given the importance of these measures and the fact that both national security and couter-terrorism are excepted matters for the UK Government to legislate on we have decided, on this occasion to proceed without the legislative consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

“I would like to stress that this is not a decision we have taken lightly.”

Mr Beattie said: “The Ulster Unionist Party has long been concerned that although the United Kingdom Government was intent on bringing forward counter-terrorism legislation though Westminster, there was a real danger that Northern Ireland would be excluded from the provisions within the legislation.

“The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Bill is set to be introduced into legislation at the end of 2020 or early 2021 and Northern Ireland had been requested, after Government consideration, to sign a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) allowing the legislation to apply in Northern Ireland.

“Unfortunately the Justice Minister was not inclined to do so and offered what was termed ‘a compromise’ that effectively watered down the legislation. This was simply not acceptable to the Ulster Unionist Party.

“Counter Terrorism is not a devolved matter and the Ulster Unionist Party believes that Northern Ireland must remain in line with the rest of the UK. This would help us to future proof ourselves against domestic and international terrorism especially in light of recent media reports that Republican terrorists operating in Northern Ireland were in contact with terrorist organisations in the Middle East.

“Taking all this into account, in my role as the Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice Spokesperson, I wrote to Chris Philp MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Westminster’s Ministry of Justice, outlining our concerns and asked that he direct that Northern Ireland should be included in the legislation.

“He is in agreement with our position and has now indicated that Northern Ireland will indeed be included in the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill, which comes as a great relief.

“We in Northern Ireland know what it is like to live under the shadow of terrorism but this is not about our past but about future threats. Therefore it is right to be tough on terrorism and ensure Northern Ireland does not become the soft underbelly of the UK.”