Northern Ireland Terrorism Legislation Annual Security Statistics: 2025
The report details the use in Northern Ireland of powers contained within the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Act 2006, the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 and the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 during the period January to December 2025.
Applies to Northern Ireland
Documents
Details
Key Findings
Key statistics during January to December 2025:
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The powers of stop and search under section 47A (Searches in specified areas or places) of the Terrorism Act 2000 were not exercised in Northern Ireland in 2025.
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There were 30 premises searched under warrant by the Police Service of Northern Ireland under Schedule 5 (Terrorist investigations: information) to the Terrorism Act 2000.
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As in previous years, there was limited use of powers provided under the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. There were five people made subject to notification requirements under section 47 (Initial notification) of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008.
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There were 26 persons detained under section 41 (Arrest without warrant) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and one application for an extension of detention, which was granted.
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Of the 26 persons detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, 25 were held for 48 hours or less with one person detained for more than three days but less than four days. Eleven persons were charged and 15 persons were released.
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The 11 persons were charged with a total of 25 offences, including five charges for preparation of terrorist acts, three for conspiracy to pervert justice/perverting justice and three for possession of documents/information.
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As of 28 April 2026, all 11 persons charged after being detained in Northern Ireland under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 were still awaiting prosecution.
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Four persons detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 were charged with a total of seven offences under the Terrorism Act 2000, three of which related to collection of information. Five people were detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and were each charged with an offence under the Terrorism Act 2006; all five related to the preparation of terrorist acts.
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In 2025, there was a total of 30 persons disposed of by a non-jury trial, 24 of whom were found guilty of at least one charge. A total of 18 non-jury trial certificates were issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.
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There were 34 Preliminary Inquiries, all of which were committed to the Crown Court.
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During 2025, 24 persons were convicted of an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006 or the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008.
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There was a total of 59 convictions for charges under terrorism legislation – the Terrorism Act 2000, Terrorism Act 2006, and Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, including 25 convictions for failing to notify police of required information.
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There were 149 examinations carried out by police officers under Schedule 7 (Port and Border Controls) to the Terrorism Act 2000, of which 92 were examinations of persons and 57 were of unaccompanied freight; 50 resulted in a detention.
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There were no compensation (solicitors’ and loss assessors’ fees) or agency (loss adjusters’ fees) payments made under Section 38 of, and Schedule 4 (Compensation) to, the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007.
Notes for Editors
This is an annual publication reporting on key Northern Ireland specific terrorism legislation statistics. Figures are mainly drawn from administrative and operational data sources. The published report presents data for the last five years. Figures for years prior to this are provided in an accompanying Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Official Statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs and are produced free from any political interference. They are also subject to restrictions in terms of pre-release access. The PDF bulletin and accompanying Excel spreadsheet are available from the NIO website (www.gov.uk/nio).