The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill came before the Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights yesterday, two years after it was first introduced.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said the delay was due to the need to take account of observations made by the Human Rights Commission and the ICCL, and issues raised during the debate in the Dáil. He introduced a number of drafting amendments arising from these.
The Bill gives effect to an EU decision taken in the wake of the September 11th attacks, and aimed at providing a co-ordinated EU approach to the threat of terrorism. It extends the remit of the Offences Against the State Acts to terrorist groups, whether based inside or outside the State. It also extends the provisions of the Offences Against the State Acts to acts committed outside the State.
The relevant provisions include those allowing for the making of suppression orders, extending to the forfeiture of the property of organisations affected by the suppression orders. It also contains extensive provisions to tackle the problem of financing of terrorism. Among the amendments was one allowing for an EU member-state to try a person it has refused to extradite to another state, either inside or outside the EU.