text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Counter-Terrorism Bill - Control orders: meaning of support of terrorism-related individuals - retrospective amendment
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  
  The majority of MPs voted that a slight change to the wording of the  of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 defining "terrorist-related activity" for the purpose of making [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_orders control orders] ''shall be deemed always to have had effect''.[1]  
  
  This is a way to instruct the courts to pretend the law has always been this way, even though it originally wasn't.[2]
  
  The change in the wording is to deal with a never-ending transitive definition in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, which reads:[3]
  
  ** For the purposes of this Act involvement in terrorism-related activity is any one or more of the following -
  * (a) the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism;
  * (b) conduct which facilitates the commission, preparation or instigation of such acts, or which is intended to do so;
  * (c) conduct which gives encouragement to the commission, preparation or instigation of such acts, or which is intended to do so;
  * (d) conduct which gives support or assistance to individuals who are known or believed ''to be involved in terrorism-related activity''; 
  ** and for the purposes of this subsection it is immaterial whether the acts of terrorism in question are specific acts of terrorism or acts of terrorism generally.
  
  According to part (d), someone who assists an individual involved in a terrorism-related activity is involved in a terrorism-related activity.  And anyone who assists them is also involved in a terrorism-related activity, and so on ad infinitum.  
  
  The amendment is to change the words 
  
  :"to be involved in terrorism-related activity" 
  
  in part (d) to: 
  :"involved in conduct falling within paragraphs (a) to (c)"
  
  so that the recursion could not happen.[1]
  
  * [1] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/100/08100.51-54.html#co04 Control orders: meaning of involvement in terrorism-related activity], Counter-Terrorism Bill, Clause 74, 16 May 2008
  * [2] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-06-10a.198.4#g210.3 Dominic Grieve MP], (Amendment No. 11), House of Commons, 10 June 2008
  * [3] [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ukpga_20050002_en_1#pb1-l1g1 Power to make control orders], Clause 1(9), Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
  
  
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  