ABSTRACT
The use of violence for political ends has been a feature of Irish history for over two hundred years. Since the establishment of Northern Ireland itself in 1920 there have been four distinct terrorist campaigns; in the 1920’s, during the 1939–45 world war, between 1956 and 1962 and the present campaign which began in 1969. For the first time in United Kingdom statute law, terrorism was defined as the use of violence for political ends, including any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public in fear. The 1973 Act was itself subject to review in 1974 by a Committee headed by Lord Gardiner, another eminent jurist, whose task was to consider the anti-terrorist measures in the context of civil liberties and human rights. Moving on from the legislation itself, security policy in Northern Ireland has been and continues to be based on the fair and effective enforcement of the law.
