§ Viscount Bridgemanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they share the view of the Justice Minister of the Republic of Ireland that we are moving inexorably towards a common definition of a terrorist act; and whether in their view punishment beatings and enforced exile carried out by supporters of Sinn Fein-IRA constitute terrorist acts. [HL921]
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)The interpretation of terrorism in the United Kingdom is placed within an international context and is contained in Part I, Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which received Royal Assent on 20 July 2000 and came into force on 19 February 2001.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000 paramilitary beatings and enforced exile can be interpreted as terrorist acts. The Government remain utterly and unequivocally opposed to any such acts from whatever quarter they come.