The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025
This order amends the Terrorism Act 2000 by adding Palestine Action, Maniacs Murder Cult (MMC), and Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) to the list of proscribed organizations.
The order cites the Secretary of State's belief that these organizations engage in terrorism, and it was approved by both Houses of Parliament.
The order also includes an explanatory note which clarifies that the entry for Palestine Action refers specifically to the UK based organization, and declares no significant impact on public or private sectors is expected, therefore a full impact assessment was not considered necessary.
Arguments For
Strengthening National Security: Adding these organizations to the proscribed list allows law enforcement to more effectively disrupt their activities and prevent terrorist acts. The government believes these groups are involved in terrorism.
Protecting Public Safety: Proscription makes it a criminal offense to be a member of or support these organizations, thus deterring individuals from involvement and mitigating potential threats to the public.
Compliance with International Obligations: The UK may have international counter-terrorism obligations requiring the proscription of specific organizations.
Parliamentary Approval: The order was laid before and approved by both Houses of Parliament, demonstrating democratic accountability and scrutiny.
Arguments Against
Potential for Overreach: The broad definition of terrorism and the process for proscription could lead to the inclusion of organizations that do not pose a genuine threat, chilling legitimate political expression.
Limited Impact: Proscription alone may not be sufficient to effectively counter terrorist activity; other strategies may be needed, such as intelligence gathering and international cooperation.
Impact on Civil Liberties: Proscription potentially restricts the rights of individuals associated with the organization even if they are not directly involved in terrorist activity.
Lack of Transparency: Concerns exist about the criteria used for proscription and the lack of publicly accessible evidence supporting each organization's designation as terrorist
Citation, commencement and extent1.
(1)
This Order may be cited as the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025.
(2)
This Order comes into force on the day after the day on which it is made.
(3)
This Order extends to the United Kingdom.
This section details the order's title, effective date, and geographical scope.
The order is officially titled the "Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025" and goes into effect the day after its creation.
It applies across the United Kingdom.
Proscribed Organisations2.
In Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000 (proscribed organisations), after the entry for “Terrorgram collective”, insert—
“Palestine Action
Maniacs Murder Cult (MMC) (MKU) (MKY)
Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) (RID), including Russian Imperial Legion (RIL)”.
This section adds three organizations—Palestine Action, Maniacs Murder Cult, and Russian Imperial Movement—to Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Schedule 2 lists organizations designated as proscribed under the Act.
The addition means these groups are now officially considered terrorist organizations under UK law.
Note on Proscribed Organisation3.
In Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000 (proscribed organisations), at the end of the note to the Schedule, insert—
“The entry for Palestine Action refers to the organisation using that name that is based in the United Kingdom.”.
This section adds a clarifying note to Schedule 2 specifying that the entry for "Palestine Action" refers only to the UK-based organization of that name.
This aims to prevent confusion or misidentification with other groups bearing a similar name.
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Order)
Part 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (c. 11) makes provision for proscribed organisations (including setting out offences in relation to such organisations in sections 11 to 13). An organisation is proscribed if it is listed in Schedule 2 to that Act (“Schedule 2”) or, in most cases, it operates under the same name as an organisation so listed (section 3(1)).
Article 2 of this Order adds Palestine Action, Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement to the list in Schedule 2 as new entries.
Article 3 of this Order adds a note to Schedule 2 providing that the entry for the first organisation added to Schedule 2 by article 2 of this Order is the organisation using that name that is based in the United Kingdom.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.
This explanatory note provides background information on the Terrorism Act 2000 and clarifies the effects of the order.
It explains the process for proscribing organizations and details the additions made by Articles 2 and 3.
The note also states that a full impact assessment was not needed because no significant impacts were anticipated.