CPS: We need more staff and more laws to tackle terrorism

THE Crown Prosecution Service has said more prosecutors are required to cope with returning jihadists, in what was a public rebuke to the UK’S counter-terrorism watchdog.

Sue Hemming, the CPS counter-terror chief, told a conference in London yesterday that specific powers were necessary to deal with offenders who could not be charged with “traditional crimes”. Her comments came just 24 hours after Max Hill QC suggested terror legislation should be curbed.

Ms Hemming said the scale of the problem posed by those who return from fighting in Syria after being encouraged to join Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is larger than expected.

She also criticised Mr Hill’s comments about terror legislation, claiming that traditional measures to tackle criminal behaviour “are not always sufficient” to keep the public safe.

The counter-terrorism boss said: “Unlike other criminal offending, we are usually dealing with the intent to cause fear or harm for a terrorist purpose, and punishing the conduct rather than the consequences.”