http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/32/section/20National Security Act 2023Statute Law Database2026-07-29Expert Participation2026-07-17 Part 1Espionage, sabotage and persons acting for foreign powersActing for foreign power <Addition ChangeId="key-0f08f4aa756fb6f453dd9011bdf737ad-1785236270645" CommentaryRef="key-0f08f4aa756fb6f453dd9011bdf737ad">or designated body</Addition> as aggravating factor in sentencingAggravating factor where foreign power <Addition ChangeId="key-5931b329c4d2f3d3e0ae7d1c4efe657c-1785236312330" CommentaryRef="key-5931b329c4d2f3d3e0ae7d1c4efe657c">or designated body</Addition> condition met: Northern Ireland201This section applies where a court in Northern Ireland is considering for the purposes of sentence the seriousness of an offence that—ais committed on or after the day on which this section comes into force, andbis not an offence listed in subsection (2).2Those offences are—aan offence under this Act or an ancillary offence in relation to any such offence;ba relevant electoral offence (within the meaning given by section 16).3An “ancillary offence”, in relation to an offence, means any of the following—aaiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of the offence;ban offence under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (encouraging or assisting crime) in relation to the offence;cattempting or conspiring to commit the offence.4For the purposes of this section, an offence committed by a person under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 is related to another offence if that other offence is the offence (or one of the offences) which the person intended or believed would be committed.5Where the foreign power condition or the designated body condition is met in relation to the conduct that constitutes the offence, the court—amust treat that fact as an aggravating factor, andbmust state in open court that the offence is so aggravated.6Where an offence is found to have been committed over a period of 2 or more days, or at some time during a period of 2 or more days, it must be taken for the purposes of subsection (1) to have been committed on the first of those days.7In this section “sentence”, in relation to an offence, includes any order made by a court when dealing with a person in respect of the offence.S. 20 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 100(1)S. 20 in force at 20.12.2023 by S.I. 2023/1272, reg. 2(a)Words in s. 19 cross-heading inserted (8.7.2026) by National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 (c. 24), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 21Words in s. 20 heading inserted (8.7.2026) by National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 (c. 24), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 22(a)Words in s. 20(5) inserted (8.7.2026) by National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 (c. 24), s. 7(1), Sch. para. 22(b)