In case you’re interested, here’s the order, made under section 3(6) of the Terrorism Act 2000, by means of which Alan Johnson has banned “Islam4UK” under several alternative names. The Order was made on Monday, which suggests it was drafted last week – clearly in response to Anjem Choudary’s threat of a march in Wootton Bassett.
Proscribed Organisations (Name Changes) Order 2010, SI 2010/34
Thanks to Tim Swain.
A possibly interesting question (or possibly one which shows how crazily pedantic the legal mind can be) is what if any difference it makes if Choudary runs the London School of Shariah rather than, as the order proscribes, the London School of Sharia. I think the answer must be that it makes little difference, because of section 3(9) of the 2000 Act.
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Thanks for this. I’d been looking for this on the OPSI feeds – notorious by its absence. It still isn’t there or on the OPSI SI area for 2010.
FYI – it has now arrived on OPSI – 1.40 this afternoon.
It certainly appears that this action by government is in response to the proposed march at Wootton Bassett. My understanding of the legislation is that these orders may only be made if the organisation is “concerned” in terrorism. Surely, the legislation was intended to proscribe those organisations who were committing or planning to commit terrorist actions? Since when is proposing a march – (which could have been banned under the Public Order Act 1986) – being “concerned” in terrorism. Of course, that leads one to think that maybe the government know more about these people than we are being told. If that is the case, then maybe they should have been proscribed some time ago.
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