Anti-terrorism laws are laws created to fight terrorism. They are usually enacted after specific bombings or assassinations. Anti-terrorism legislation is present in many countries, including China, Indonesia, Canada, and the United States. The Anti-terrorism Act (ATA) is a Canadian law that was adopted by Parliament following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The ATA amended the Criminal Code, the Official Secrets Act, the Canada Evidence Act, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) Act, and other Acts. It created comprehensive terrorism offenses in the Criminal Code, including knowingly participating in or contributing to any activity of a terrorist group, knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, and commission of a serious offense for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group.
The Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act (SAFETY Act) of 2002 is a US law that provides incentives for the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies by creating systems of risk and litigation management. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that the threat of liability does not deter potential manufacturers or sellers of effective anti-terrorism technologies from developing and commercializing technologies that could save lives.
Anti-terrorism laws have been criticized for circumventing normal criminal proceedings, such as quick and long detention, and allowing intelligence information to be used as preliminary evidence that can be used for apprehending a suspect. The USA Patriot Act, for example, has been criticized for removing authority from the judiciary in times of crisis.
In summary, anti-terrorism laws are laws created to fight terrorism. They are present in many countries, including Canada, the United States, China, and Indonesia. These laws have been criticized for circumventing normal criminal proceedings and removing authority from the judiciary in times of crisis.
