Part 1: Sentencing of terrorist offenders Section 7: Serious terrorism sentence: Northern Ireland
Section 7 creates a serious terrorism sentence within the 2008 Order for offenders who committed a serious terrorism offence that risked multiple deaths, and are aged 18 or over by inserting a new 13A to the 2008 Order.
	New section 13A(1) requires the court to impose the serious terrorism sentence where; the offence was committed on or after the date the provision comes into force; the offender is aged 18 or over when the offence was committed; the court is of the opinion that there is a significant risk to the public of serious harm occasioned by the commission by the offender of further such offences or other specified offences; the risk of multiple deaths condition is met and the court is not required by Article 13 to impose a life sentence or an indeterminate custodial sentence.
	New section 13A(2) requires that the court must impose a serious terrorism sentence unless there are exceptional circumstances which justify not doing so where the aforementioned circumstances are met.
	New section 13A(3) and (4) defines the risk of multiple deaths condition, requiring that the offending was very likely to result in or contribute to the deaths of at least two people as the result of an act of terrorism, as defined in section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000, irrespective of whether or not any deaths actually occurred and that the offender was aware or ought to have been aware of that likelihood.
	New section 13A(5) requires that, where the offender is aged 21 or over, the serious terrorism sentence of imprisonment must comprise the appropriate custodial term (defined in new subsection (8) to be a minimum of 14 years) and an extension period to be served on licence.
	New section 13A(6) defines that, where the offender is aged under 21 a serious terrorism sentence is a sentence of detention to be served in a place and conditions as directed by the Department of Justice, and must comprise of the appropriate custodial term (defined in new subsection (8) to be a minimum of 14 years) and an extension period to be served on licence.
	New section 13A(7) defines that a person detained under subsection (6) is to be detained in legal custody.
	New section 13A(8) provides that the appropriate custodial term will be a minimum of 14 years or if longer the term that would (apart from this Article and Articles 14 and 15A) be imposed in compliance with Article 7 of the 2008 Order.
	New section 13A(9) further details that where the court considers it appropriate to do so, they may take into account a guilty plea in accordance with Article 33(1) of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 as long as the custodial term is no less than 11 years and 73 days.
	New section 13A(10) provides for the court to specify a lesser period for the custodial term than the minimum set out at new subsection (8), or where a guilty plea has been taken into account, if it consider it appropriate, in accordance with section 73(2) of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, where the offender has given assistance to the prosecution.
	New section 13A(11) provides that the extended licence period must be between 7 and 25 years, determined by the court according to the need to protect the public from the risk of harm of committing further serious terrorism offences or other specified offences posed by the offender.
	New section 13A(12) directs that a court that imposes a sentence under this section shall not impose a suspended sentence under section 18 of the Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. New subsection (13) directs that remission shall not be granted under prison rules to an offender sentenced under this section.