EMERGENCY legislation is to be brought in to make sure terror offenders are not released automatically from prison halfway through their sentences, the UK Government said yesterday.
Speaking in the wake of the terror attack in Streatham, UK Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said terror offenders will only be considered for release once they have served two-thirds of their sentence, and with Parole Board approval.
Sudesh Amman was shot dead by police after grabbing a knife from a shop and attacking two bystanders in Streatham High Road, south London, on Sunday.
Buckland told the House of Commons: “Yesterday’s appalling incident makes the case plainly for immediate action. We cannot have the situation, as we saw tragically in yesterday’s case, where an offender... is released early by automatic process of law without any oversight by the Parole Board.
“We will be doing everything we can to protect the public, that is our primary duty. We will, therefore, introduce emergency legislation to ensure an end to terrorist offenders getting released automatically having served half of their sentence with no check or review.”
The 20-year-old, who was jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, was freed from prison less than a fortnight ago and had been staying at a bail hostel in nearby Leigham Court Road.
Scotland Yard said armed officers were following Amman on foot as part of a “proactive counter-terrorism surveillance operation” in Streatham High Road.
One of the two people stabbed by Amman remains in hospital. The man, in his 40s, is no longer considered to be in a life-threatening condition.
The UK Government will also consider new legislation to ensure extremists are more closely monitored on release and will review the current maximum sentences for terror offences.
Clare Collier, advocacy director for campaign group Liberty, said the plans were “a cause of increasing concern for our civil liberties”, describing it as a “threat to break the law by changing people’s sentences retrospectively”.
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