Counter-terror clampdown on window displays

Mr. Campbell has asked if legislation could be reviewed “to ensure that people responsible for threatening paramilitary window displays can be prosecuted effectively”.

NIO junior minister, Shailesh Vara promised that the controversial new Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill will criminalise such displays.

He stated: “Counter-terrorism legislation already provides for offences of expressing support for a proscribed organisation, publishing images in such a way as to arouse reasonable suspicion that the person is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation, and encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications.

“NIO officials have worked with the Home Office on the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill currently before Parliament which, among other things, will make it possible to prosecute individuals if they are reckless as to whether their statements will encourage others to support terrorist organisations.”

The new bill, if passed, will create an offence of “expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, where the person expressing the opinion or belief is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation”.