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Public Order Act 2023
The Public Order Act 2023 (c. 15), referred to during its passage through Parliament as the public order bill and the anti-protest bill, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which gave law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom greater powers to prevent protest tactics deemed "disruptive" such as those used by climate protestors. It received royal assent on 2 May 2023.
This bill followed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which reintroduced measures previously rejected by the House of Lords. As with the previous act, this bill also received criticism in regards to declining civil liberties in the country. The Joint Committee on Human Rights "called for key measures in the legislation to be watered down or scrapped because the laws would have a "chilling effect" on people in England and Wales seeking to exercise their legitimate democratic rights."
The act introduces new offences for locking on (with 51-week sentences), interfering with key national infrastructure, obstructing major transport works, causing serious disruption by tunnelling, greater stop and search powers to prevent disruptive protests (including without suspicion), and "Serious Disruption Prevention Orders" "which can restrict people's freedom by imposing conditions on repeat offenders".
The act is "explicitly targeted at protesters", such as "the current outbreak of climate protests across Britain". The government specifically named the protests of Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and Insulate Britain as reasons it is needed.
Measures previously rejected by the House of Lords in consideration of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, including banning individuals from protests, were reintroduced.
In January 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government announced plans to amend the Public Order Bill before it becomes law "to broaden the legal definition of 'serious disruption', give police more flexibility, and provide legal clarity on when the new powers could be used."
The act also includes measures to create safe access zones around abortion clinics with a radius of 150 metres. These provisions were brought into force in 2024.
The bill was announced in the Queen's speech on 10 May 2022.
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Public Order Act 2023
The Public Order Act 2023 (c. 15), referred to during its passage through Parliament as the public order bill and the anti-protest bill, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which gave law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom greater powers to prevent protest tactics deemed "disruptive" such as those used by climate protestors. It received royal assent on 2 May 2023.
This bill followed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which reintroduced measures previously rejected by the House of Lords. As with the previous act, this bill also received criticism in regards to declining civil liberties in the country. The Joint Committee on Human Rights "called for key measures in the legislation to be watered down or scrapped because the laws would have a "chilling effect" on people in England and Wales seeking to exercise their legitimate democratic rights."
The act introduces new offences for locking on (with 51-week sentences), interfering with key national infrastructure, obstructing major transport works, causing serious disruption by tunnelling, greater stop and search powers to prevent disruptive protests (including without suspicion), and "Serious Disruption Prevention Orders" "which can restrict people's freedom by imposing conditions on repeat offenders".
The act is "explicitly targeted at protesters", such as "the current outbreak of climate protests across Britain". The government specifically named the protests of Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and Insulate Britain as reasons it is needed.
Measures previously rejected by the House of Lords in consideration of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, including banning individuals from protests, were reintroduced.
In January 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government announced plans to amend the Public Order Bill before it becomes law "to broaden the legal definition of 'serious disruption', give police more flexibility, and provide legal clarity on when the new powers could be used."
The act also includes measures to create safe access zones around abortion clinics with a radius of 150 metres. These provisions were brought into force in 2024.
The bill was announced in the Queen's speech on 10 May 2022.