Terrorists to lose human right to socialise in prisons

CONVICTED terrorists are to lose their human rights to socialise as Dominic Raab expands the use of segregated “jails within jails” to stop dangerous offenders radicalising other inmates.

The Justice Secretary is to use his new UK Bill of Rights to prevent terrorists and hate preachers using “trivial” and “elastic” claims under human rights laws to block their transfer to “separation” units where they will be isolated from other prisoners.

There are three units at the high security jails HMP Frankland in Durham, Full Sutton near York and Woodhill in Milton Keynes with places for 30 convicted terrorists.

But only 10 are currently imprisoned in them, including Hashem Abedi, jailed for the Manchester Arena attack in which 23 people died.

They have been underused because of claims by their lawyers that transfers to them would breach Article 11 rights to freedom of association and Article 8 rights to a family and private life.

In one case, convicted killer Jemmikai Orlebar-forbes, 28, won £15,000 after claiming a breach of his Article 8 rights when he was segregated with jailed terrorists at Frankland.

Mr Raab said: “The threat from terrorism is evolving, so our response must adapt. We are going to take a more decisive approach in our prisons, not allowing cultural and religious sensitivities to deter us from nipping in the bud early signs of terrorist risk.

“We will isolate more of the most radical terrorists in separation centres, and our Bill of Rights will prevent terrorists using the Human Rights Act to claim a ‘right to socialise’ in prison.”

Their placement in the centres will only be reviewed every two years, rather than the current three months.

Mr Raab will also use the Bill to curb payouts to terrorists by encouraging judges to take into account their criminal behaviour when deciding whether to award any compensation.

A Ministry of Justice (MOJ) “squad” including lawyers will be set up to identify and refer more terrorists and hate preachers to the units, backed with £1.2million funding. Referrals to the “jails within jails” will be streamlined to be quicker and simpler.

“We want to make it easier for governors to put these dangerous predators in separation centres to stop them recruiting more terrorist foot soldiers and minimise the risk of trivial legal challenges based on procedural complexities,” said the MOJ.