Commentary Schedule 1 – Convention Offences
97.The definition of Convention offence is set out in section 20(2) and it covers the offences listed in Schedule 1 and any offence equivalent to the listed offences under the law of a country or territory outside the UK. Schedule 1defines Convention offences for the purposes of Part 1 of this Act. References to Convention offences can be found in sections 1 (encouragement of terrorism), 3 (application of sections 1 and 2 to internet activity, etc.), 6 (training for terrorism) and 8 (attendance at a place used for terrorist training). The new offences in sections 1 and 6 implement provisions of the Council of Europe Convention for the Prevention of Terrorism. The Convention offences are intended to cover the concept of terrorist offence in the Convention. Terrorist offence is defined in Article 1 of the Convention as all the offences covered by the treaties listed in the Appendix to the Convention. As those treaties have been implemented in UK law, Schedule 1 lists the offences in UK law.
98.The following categories of offences are included: explosives offences, offences relating to biological weapons, offences against internationally protected persons, hostage taking, hijacking and other offences against aircraft, offences involving nuclear material, offences under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, offences involving chemical weapons, offences relating to terrorist funds, directing a terrorist organisation, offences involving nuclear weapons, and inchoate offences (such as conspiracy, incitement and attempting to commit an offence) relating to Convention offences. As well as being drafted in terms of Convention offences the provisions of the Act that refer to Convention offences are also drafted by reference to the wider concept of acts of terrorism.