Part II U.K. Proscribed Organisations

Offences U.K.

11 Membership. U.K.

(1) A person commits an offence if he belongs or professes to belong to a proscribed organisation.

(2) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) to prove—

(a) that the organisation was not proscribed on the last (or only) occasion on which he became a member or began to profess to be a member, and

(b) that he has not taken part in the activities of the organisation at any time while it was proscribed.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, to a fine or to both, or

(b) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both.

(4) In subsection (2) “proscribed” means proscribed for the purposes of any of the following—

(a) this Act;

(b) the M1 Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996;

(c) the M2 Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991;

(d) the M3 Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989;

(e) the M4 Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984;

(f) the M5 Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978;

(g) the M6 Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976;

(h) the M7 Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974;

(i) the M8 Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973.

Marginal Citations

M1 1996 c. 22.

M2 1991 c. 24.

M3 1989 c. 4.

M4 1984 c. 8.

M5 1978 c. 5.

M6 1976 c. 8.

M7 1974 c. 56.

M8 1973 c. 53.

12 Support. U.K.

(1) A person commits an offence if—

(a) he invites support for a proscribed organisation, and

(b) the support is not, or is not restricted to, the provision of money or other property (within the meaning of section 15).

(2) A person commits an offence if he arranges, manages or assists in arranging or managing a meeting which he knows is—

(a) to support a proscribed organisation,

(b) to further the activities of a proscribed organisation, or

(c) to be addressed by a person who belongs or professes to belong to a proscribed organisation.

(3) A person commits an offence if he addresses a meeting and the purpose of his address is to encourage support for a proscribed organisation or to further its activities.

(4) Where a person is charged with an offence under subsection (2)(c) in respect of a private meeting it is a defence for him to prove that he had no reasonable cause to believe that the address mentioned in subsection (2)(c) would support a proscribed organisation or further its activities.

(5) In subsections (2) to (4)—

(a) “meeting” means a meeting of three or more persons, whether or not the public are admitted, and

(b) a meeting is private if the public are not admitted.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, to a fine or to both, or

(b) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both.

13 Uniform. U.K.

(1) A person in a public place commits an offence if he—

(a) wears an item of clothing, or

(b) wears, carries or displays an article,

in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation.

(2) A constable in Scotland may arrest a person without a warrant if he has reasonable grounds to suspect that the person is guilty of an offence under this section.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to—

(a) imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months,

(b) a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or

(c) both.