Section 17A Supporting a designated bodyF1

(1)

A person commits an offence if the person—

(a)

invites support for, or expresses an opinion or belief that is supportive of, a designated body, and

(b)

does so for a prohibited purpose.

(2)

A person commits an offence if the person—

(a)

arranges, manages or assists in arranging, or managing, a meeting which the person knows is—

(i)

to support a designated body,

(ii)

to further the activities of a designated body, or

(iii)

to be addressed by a person who belongs or claims to belong to a designated body, and

(b)

does so for a prohibited purpose.

(3)

A person commits an offence if the person—

(a)

addresses a meeting which the person knows is—

(i)

to support a designated body, or

(ii)

to further the activities of a designated body, and

(b)

does so for a prohibited purpose.

(4)

A “prohibited purpose” means a purpose that the person knows, or having regard to other matters known to them ought reasonably to know, is prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.

(5)

Subsections (1) to (3) apply to conduct outside the United Kingdom, but apply to conduct taking place wholly outside the United Kingdom only if the person engaging in the conduct—

(a)

is a UK person, or

(b)

acts for or on behalf of, or holds office under, the Crown, or is in Crown employment (whether or not they engage in the conduct in that capacity).

(6)

In proceedings for an offence under subsection (2)(a)(iii) in respect of a private meeting it is a defence to show that the person had no reasonable cause to believe that the address mentioned in subsection (2)(a)(iii) would support a designated body or further its activities.

(7)

A person is taken to have shown a matter mentioned in subsection (6) if—

(a)

sufficient evidence of the matter is adduced to raise an issue with respect to it, and

(b)

the contrary is not proved beyond reasonable doubt.

(8)

A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years or a fine (or both).

(9)

In this section “meeting” means a meeting of three or more persons, whether or not the public are admitted; and a meeting is private if the public are not admitted.

(10)

The following terms have the same meaning as in section 3—

“Crown employment”;
“UK person”.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Ss. 17A-17C and cross-heading inserted (8.7.2026) by National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 (c. 24), ss. 2(2), 7(1)