New laws making it illegal to glorify terrorism came into force across Britain today following months of bitter political debate.
The Terrorism Act 2006 allows groups or organisations to be banned for glorifying terrorism and distributing publications promoting terrorist acts. The most controversial element of the act, allowing terror suspects to be detained for up to 28 days instead of 14, will come into force later this year.
The law was drafted after suicide bombers killed 52 commuters on the London transport system last July.
But the legislation struggled to pass through parliament as critics said it was too wide-ranging and would be unworkable and an erosion of free speech. The upper House of Lords rejected the bill several times before eventually backing down.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has said the new law was needed to show Britain would not waver in its fight against terrorism. But critics complain it is too vague.
The government has seen previous anti-terrorism legislation come unstuck in the courts since tough measures were introduced following the September 11th attacks on the United States.
In 2004, Britain's most senior court ruled emergency powers to detain foreign suspects without trial violated human rights.
On Wednesday, the government was dealt another blow when a London court ruled that "control orders" - brought in under a new law to replace the discredited powers - imposed against a British terrorism suspect who wanted to go to fight US-led forces in Iraq breached his human rights as he had not had a fair hearing.