Section 12 Support.

United Kingdom

(1)

A person commits an offence if—

(a)

he invites support for a proscribed organisation, and

(b)

the support is not, or is not restricted to, the provision of money or other property (within the meaning of section 15).

F1(1A)

A person commits an offence if the person—

(a)

expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, and

(b)

in doing so is reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression is directed will be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation.

(2)

A person commits an offence if he arranges, manages or assists in arranging or managing a meeting which he knows is—

(a)

to support a proscribed organisation,

(b)

to further the activities of a proscribed organisation, or

(c)

to be addressed by a person who belongs or professes to belong to a proscribed organisation.

(3)

A person commits an offence if he addresses a meeting and the purpose of his address is to encourage support for a proscribed organisation or to further its activities.

(4)

Where a person is charged with an offence under subsection (2)(c) in respect of a private meeting it is a defence for him to prove that he had no reasonable cause to believe that the address mentioned in subsection (2)(c) would support a proscribed organisation or further its activities.

(5)

In subsections (2) to (4)—

(a)

“meeting” means a meeting of three or more persons, whether or not the public are admitted, and

(b)

a meeting is private if the public are not admitted.

(6)

A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a)

on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding F214 years, to a fine or to both, or

(b)

on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: S. 12(1A) inserted (12.4.2019) by Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (c. 3), ss. 1, 27(3) (with s. 25(1))
F2: Word in s. 12(6)(a) substituted (29.6.2021) by Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 (c. 11), ss. 26(1)(b), 50(2)(m) (with s. 26(3))