NI: Human rights law expert issues warning over counter-terrorism bill
Reading time: 1 minute
Colin Harvey
A professor of human rights law has warned that a controversial counter-terrorism bill could undermine freedom of expression, The Irish News reports.
Professor Colin Harvey of QUB School of Law told the newspaper that the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill is “deeply problematic”.
The bill, currently making its way through Westminster, contains provisions related to stop and search near the Irish border as well as the criminalisation of images related to outlawed groups.
Human rights groups have expressed concerns provisions clamping down on people publishing images which “arouse reasonable suspicion that the person is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation”.
Professor Harvey said: “There is a risk that the broad scope of this new offence will have a chilling effect and further undermine guarantees on freedom of expression.
“Although notionally targeted at a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation the offence is of such breadth as to raise legitimate human rights concerns about its scope and potential application.”
Seamus Dooley, head of the National Union of Journalists in Ireland, has said that he believes journalists “would be concerned about the breadth of it”.
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
