No further action is being taken against a man who was arrested after being stopped under Terrorism Act powers in April.
A 28-year-old French national was stopped by Borders officers as he arrived at St Pancras station, using powers under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, at around 1930hrs on 17 April 2023.
The man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of wilfully obstructing a Schedule 7 examination (contrary to section 18 of the Terrorism Act 2000). This related to the man not disclosing the PIN number to his phone when asked to by officers.
The man was bailed, and later released under investigation.
In May 2023, a file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in relation to the alleged section 18 offence.
The CPS later advised that the evidential test has not been met. Therefore, no further action will be taken.
Earlier today (Friday, 23 June), the man arrested was informed of this outcome via his solicitors.
Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“We are aware that this police interaction generated a lot of commentary about our use of Schedule 7 powers, and whether it was necessary and proportionate in this case.
“The public would rightly expect that the use of Counter Terrorism powers is always carefully considered, and we have reflected on this particular interaction so we can identify any learning.
“Schedule 7 is a valuable power in protecting the borders of the UK and remains an important tool in our efforts to counter the terrorist threat and keep the public safe.
“We have a clear set of guidelines for our officers to follow when they carry out such stops. The use of Schedule 7 is also, quite rightly, the subject of independent scrutiny and we welcome such checks and balances to ensure we are accountable.
“As part of this, we are fully engaged with the UK’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, who is currently reviewing this case.”
“We have also met with representatives from the National Union of Journalists to listen to concerns they raised about this stop. We will continue to be as open as possible about our work and take very opportunity to reflect on feedback and learning from our interactions”
