Defending Terrorism Charges

There are many offences under counter terrorism legislation, but broadly speaking the threat, or use of violence or certain other actions for the purpose of advancing a cause (whether this is religious, political or ideological) can lead to a charge of terrorism.

It is possible to be convicted for a terrorism offence even if you did not carry out the act; any involvement in a terrorist act, including the research and planning stages may be considered a crime.

Courts take these charges extremely seriously, so if you find yourself being investigated for a terrorism offence it is essential that you take expert advice at the earliest possible opportunity in order to safeguard your legal rights.

Anti-terrorism law is a particularly complex area and being accused of or charged with a terrorism offence is a very serious matter with severe penalties involving long custodial sentences.

If you or someone you know is accused of a terrorism offence, speak to one of our specialist defence solicitors urgently. At Clifford Johnston & Co, we have extensive knowledge of charges of this nature and a broad experience of defending clients accused of terrorism offences.

Arrests can happen without warning, so we have an expert defence team available to assist you at any hour, or any day of the year. We can offer immediate advice and representation, ensuring that you receive appropriate and fair treatment throughout the process.

Clifford Johnston & Co. has been practising in this area of law for over 35 years, and we are extremely skilled in representing clients who are facing allegations of terrorism. We are proud of our excellent reputation. People choose us because of our outstanding levels of client care – so you can be confident that we will represent your case with professionalism and care. Our team of Serious Crime Solicitors have considerable expertise in defending Terrorism cases, which has seen us shortlisted as finalists for Crime Team of the year at the Manchester Legal Awards in both 2019 and 2020.

What is terrorism?

The Terrorism Act 2000 defines terrorism as: “the use or threat of one or more of the actions listed below, and where they are designed to influence the government, or an international governmental organisation or to intimidate the public. The use or threat must also be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.” *

The specific actions the Act refers to are:

• serious violence against a person
• serious damage to property
• endangering a person’s life (other than that of the person committing the action)
• creating a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public
• action designed to seriously interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.

It is possible to be convicted for a terrorism offence even if you were not actually the person who carried out the act; any involvement in a terrorist act, whether it be research, planning, assistance or preparation can be considered a crime, and can carry weighty sentences under terrorism legislation.

There are several Acts that set out counter terrorism legislation in the UK – whilst many offences could be dealt with under more common charges such as murder or conspiracy to create an explosion, more specific charges exist. These Acts are:

• The Terrorism Act 2000
• Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
• The Terrorism Act 2006
• The Counter-Terrorism Act 2008
• Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011
• The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019
• The Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010.

Under these Acts there are many specific charges, which include:

• Incitement or encouraging terrorism, which includes the publishing of material which could be useful to anyone preparing acts of terror
• Viewing terrorist material over the internet
• Dissemination of terrorist publications
• Being a member of a terrorist organisation
• Terrorist training offences, such as giving or receiving training, or attending a place where terrorism training is taking place
• Funding terrorism. (Raising or receiving funds, donating money to a terrorist organisation, and facilitating the laundering of money on behalf of a terrorist organisation are offences, and can lead to assets being frozen under the Terrorist Asset Freezing Act 2010.)
• Assisting in the preparation of acts of terrorism
• Failing to disclose information to the police as soon as possible if you believe that someone is in any way involved in an act of terrorism.
• Glorifying an act of terrorism
• Conspiracy to murder.

Why choose Clifford Johnston & Co?

At Clifford Johnston & Co, we have over three decades of experience of providing support and legal representation to clients accused of some of the most serious offences there are. We understand the best way to protect the best interests of our clients and will always ensure that they get a fair trial, which is particularly important in high profile cases where tensions can run high. We know how to ensure that we obtain any pertinent evidence that will help to build a case and potentially undermine the prosecution, and we are well equipped to represent you if you face allegations or charges of terrorism.

With any such case, early intervention and expert guidance is key from the earliest possible opportunity to ensure that anyone facing terrorism charges gets the best possible representation, leading to the best outcome possible under the circumstances. If you, or someone you know is facing terrorism charges, contact Clifford Johnston & Co urgently – we will offer an initial consultation and will work with you so that you are fully aware of the legal implications of the charges that you face, and we’ll work to identify the best course of action.

We will make sure that you are treated with fairness and in accordance with your legal rights. We can offer support at every stage of the legal process, from initial police interview at the station, all the way through to representation at trial if necessary. We offer the highest standards of legal representation, and our clients choose us for our robust and tenacious approach, which is why we are so highly regarded as criminal defence experts.

Our serious crime solicitors regularly act for clients across the North West and beyond – wherever you live in England and Wales one of our team will be able to assist you. Our legal team offers advice and support 24 hours a day, every day of the year – whatever the charges you face, we are here to help.

Contact us

We are proud to offer expert legal services nationally which are affordable and cost-effective.

By choosing to work with us you will have an exceptional team fighting your corner. From our offices in Stockport and Manchester, we regularly help clients who have been accused of terrorism offences around the UK.

Our Terrorism Defence Solicitors have an exceptional level of expertise and are an integral department within our team of Criminal Solicitors in Manchester.

Talk to Clifford Johnston & Co. today to gain high-quality representation.