Francesca Whitelaw KC discusses Terrorism Legislation for The Law Society Gazette

Francesca Whitelaw KC, together with present and former Independent Reviewers of Terrorism, features in The Law Society Gazette’s recent article about the government’s changes to terrorism legislation, including the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS).

The article touches on the legal balance between public protection and civil liberties, noting that judicial and independent oversight will be key to ensuring fair application of the new laws.

Francesca, who has extensive experience of inquests and inquiries into terrorist incidents such as the Streatham and Forbury Gardens attacks and also appeared in the first-ever facial recognition challenge in the Court of Appeal, commented, “Early criticism of the Terrorism Act 2000 focused on the breadth of the definition of terrorism, with many expressing concerns that it would impact free speech and personal freedoms”. Exploration of what constitutes terrorism remains ever relevant today.

The full interview appears in The Law Gazette (p 18).