National Security Act 2023

89 Legal aid for individuals convicted of terrorism offences

(1) The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 9(1) (general cases), at the end insert—

“This is subject to section 9A (limits on access to civil legal services for individuals convicted of terrorism offences).”

(3) After section 9 insert—

“9A Limits on access to civil legal services for individuals convicted of terrorism offences

(1) Civil legal services described in Part 1 of Schedule 1 other than those in paragraph 12 of Schedule 1 (“general case services”) are only to be available to an individual convicted of a terrorism offence (an “offender”) under this Part if—

(a) the Director has made a determination under section 9(1)(b) (a “general case determination”) in relation to the offender (and has not withdrawn the determination), and

(b) the Director determines that one or more of Conditions A to G are met.

(2) Condition A is met where the offender was convicted of the terrorism offence before 19 February 2001.

(3) Condition B is met where the offender was under the age of 18 on the date they applied for the general case determination (the “application date”).

(4) Condition C is met where the offender was convicted of the terrorism offence more than 30 years before the application date.

(5) Condition D is met where the offender was convicted of the terrorism offence—

(a) when they were under the age of 18, and

(b) more than 15 years before the application date.

(6) Condition E is met where the offender applied for the general case determination before—

(a) the commencement date, or

(b) the date on which they were convicted of the terrorism offence.

(7) Condition F is met where the Director has made (and not withdrawn) an exceptional case determination, within the meaning given by section 10(3), in relation to the offender and the general case services.

(8) Condition G is met where—

(a) the general case services are those described in paragraph 11, 33, 34 or 35 of Schedule 1 (services in relation to domestic violence and housing), and

(b) the offender—

(i) was or is a victim of domestic violence occurring after the relevant date, or

(ii) is at risk of being a victim of domestic violence.

(9) In subsection (8)—

• “domestic violence” has the meaning given in paragraph 12(9) of Schedule 1;

• “relevant date” means the date five years before the application date.

(10) Regulations may make provision specifying for the purposes of this section when an individual is deemed to have applied for a general case determination.

(11) In this section, “terrorism offence” means any of the following (whenever committed)—

(a) an offence listed in—

(i) Schedule A1 to the Sentencing Code (terrorism offences: England and Wales), or

(ii) Schedule 1A to the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (terrorism offences: Scotland and Northern Ireland);

(b) a service offence as respects which the corresponding civil offence is so listed;

(c) an offence that—

(i) was abolished on or before the commencement date, and

(ii) if committed on or after the date on which it was abolished, would have constituted an offence referred to in paragraph (a) or (b);

(d) an offence determined to have a terrorist connection under—

(i) section 69 of the Sentencing Code (in the case of an offender sentenced in England and Wales), including as applied by section 238(6) of the Armed Forces Act 2006,

(ii) section 30 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (in the case of an offender sentenced in Northern Ireland, or an offender sentenced in England and Wales before the Sentencing Code applied), or

(iii) section 32 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (in the case of an offender sentenced for a service offence before the Sentencing Code applied);

(e) an offence proved to have been aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection under section 31 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (in the case of an offender sentenced in Scotland).

(12) Where an offender has been convicted of more than one terrorism offence, “the terrorism offence” in this section means the terrorism offence the offender has most recently been convicted of.

(13) In this section—

• “commencement date” means the date on which section 89 of the National Security Act 2023 comes into force;

• “service offence” and “corresponding civil offence” have the same meanings as in the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (see section 95 of that Act).

(14) Nothing in this section affects the Director’s ability to make determinations under section 10 (exceptional cases).”

(4) In section 12 (determinations)—

(a) in subsection (2), after “9” insert “, 9A”;

(b) in subsection (5), after “9” insert “, 9A”.