Taking of Hostages Act 1982
A person, whatever his nationality, who, in the United Kingdom or elsewhere,— commits an offence.
detains any other person (“the hostage”), and
in order to compel a State, international governmental organisation or person to do or abstain from doing any act, threatens to kill, injure or continue to detain the hostage,
A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.
Proceedings for an offence under this Act shall not be instituted—
in England and Wales, except by or with the consent of the Attorney General; and
in Northern Ireland, except by or with the consent of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland.
As respects Scotland, for the purpose of conferring on the sheriff jurisdiction to entertain proceedings for an offence under this Act, any such offence shall, without prejudice to any jurisdiction exercisable apart from this subsection, be deemed to have been committed in any place in Scotland where the offender may for the time being be.
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in the list of extradition crimes in Schedule 1 to the Extradition Act 1870, and
among the description of offences set out in Schedule 1 to the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967,
In Schedule 1 to the Suppression of Terrorism Act 1978 (offences not to be regarded as of a political character) after paragraph 11 there shall be inserted the following paragraph—.
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is an offence under this Act or an attempt to commit such an offence, and
is an offence against the law of any State in the case of which that Act is applied by an Order in Council under section 2 of that Act,
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Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision for extending the other provisions of this Act, with such exceptions, adaptations or modifications as may be specified in the Order, to any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or any colony.
This Act may be cited as the Taking of Hostages Act 1982.
This Act shall come into force on such day as Her Majesty may by Order in Council appoint.