UN urges review of proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill

17-Oct-2026

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The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed serious concern over provisions in the Government’s newly proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill and urged the government to review it in consultation with all stakeholders before enacting it into law.

In a statement on the proposed legislation, the OHCHR said:

Compared with earlier drafts proposed as replacements for the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the latest Bill incorporates certain improvements. However, several shortcomings identified in the PTA and previous legislative proposals remain in the new Bill.

Among the major concerns are the vague and insufficiently precise definition of the term “terrorist offences”; restrictions that could affect freedom of expression and other forms of civil activity; administrative detention; inadequate judicial oversight; broad powers of arrest and search; and excessive discretionary authority vested in the executive.

The OHCHR has called for these concerns to be addressed through a comprehensive review before the proposed legislation is enacted.