Do you have to report a crime?

[|Ric|]

I have just been thinking recently about this as a new offence for "combating" terrorism is that it is against the law to withhold information about an impending terrorist attack.

Now I know that you can't lie about something as that will be perverting the course of justice, but if asked about something can you simply say something to the effect of "No comment" or "I don't want to answer that as it will incriminate me or someone I know".

If for example you knew about a murder that was going to take place, if you were not in on the planning of it then presumbably it is not conspiracy to murder (accessory, etc.) but if you were questioned by the police before hand would you be breaking the law not to tell them? Or If questioned afterwards what if you didn't want to tell them it was a person you knew that did it - you obviously couldn't lie and give them an alibi.

I'm really interested in whether the new terrorist offence is a tightening of our personal freedoms or merely toughening an existing law.

If anyone up with the law could give me an answer I would appreciate it,
Ric.

 

[Raymond Lin]

The English legal system is very much based on individualism that we don’t have to do things in a sense that is for other people, we are only punish for the things that we actually do wrong. Because

1 - It omits to do things to help others all the time.
2 – Its not being consider historically in the role of the criminal law to act like a Mary Poppins creature.

There are exceptions, but if it's a terrorist plot then i think the Terrorism Act would cover it and you'd be in up the creek.