The UK Government’s most senior adviser on counter-terrorism laws has called for jail sentences for those who fail to alert authorities about possible attacks involving their family members.
Max Hill QC, the independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, said: “Friends and families of terrorist attackers should be jailed for failing to alert authorities to possible attacks.”
He also stated that maximum sentences for certain terrorism offences should be longer.
Hill added that some existing powers are underused or carry sentences that are too light to work as an effective deterrent.
He highlighted section 38B of the Terrorism Act 2000, which makes it a criminal offence for anyone who believes someone might be planning an act of terrorism to “not disclose the information as soon as reasonably practicable”.
Hill repeated his call for greater reliance on terrorism prevention and investigation measures, which place restrictions on suspects who cannot be deported or prosecuted.
His calls came amid warnings that the terrorism threat level from home-grown “jihadis” has increased.
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850 British Muslims have allegedly joined the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
From that figure, an estimated 350 have already returned to the UK, while 200 are believed to have been killed.
