January 16, 2023
1 min read

Sunak plans to strengthen anti-protest laws

The government passed legislation to address this in 2022, but is planning to go further with a new set of laws known as the Public Order Bill…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government will on Monday announce new proposals to clamp down on protests, broadening the range of situations in which police are able to act to prevent serious disruption.

In recent years, protests, usually on environmental issues, have shut down large parts of central London and blocked traffic on key highways, leading to calls for the police to have more power to stop the disturbances.

The government passed legislation to address this in 2022, but is planning to go further with a new set of laws known as the Public Order Bill.

The bill was published last year and is currently in the final stages of debate in parliament. It has drawn heavy criticism from civil rights groups who say it is anti-democratic and gives police too much power.

The government wants 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 right to protest is a fundamental principle of our democracy, but this is not absolute,” Sunak said in a statement late on Sunday.

“We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable and we’re going to bring it to an end.”

The government says the new laws, if passed, will mean police can shut down disruptive protests pre-emptively.

The bill already includes the creation of a criminal offence for those who seek to lock themselves to objects or buildings, and allows courts to restrict the freedoms of some protesters to prevent them causing serious disruption.

It builds on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, passed in April 2022, which sparked several large ‘kill the bill’ protests.

ALSO READ: Sunak lauds UK, Japan defence pact  

Previous Story

Iran to get Russian Su-35 fighters soon

Next Story

Lawmakers sought King Charles’ nod for law affecting his property

Latest from -Top News

Namibia voices concern over US tariffs

AGOA is a non-reciprocal trade arrangement aimed at supporting development in African countries through preferential access to US markets The Namibian government has expressed concern over newly imposed US tariffs, warning that

Africa CDC calls for self-reliance

Data from the African Union’s specialised healthcare agency show that the continent, over the past 24 months, has witnessed an “unprecedented surge in public health emergencies,” rising from 152 disease outbreaks in

US to revoke all South Sudan visas

Trump’s administration has taken aggressive measures to ramp up immigration enforcement, including the repatriation of people deemed to be in the US illegallyThe US said on Saturday it would revoke all visas

Panama wants ‘respectful’ ties with US

The US State Department said Landau had “expressed gratitude for Panama’s cooperation in halting illegal immigration and working with the US to secure a nearly 98% decrease in illegal immigration Panama hopes
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Biden to visit UK, Belgium in June

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden ’s

Will Hunt Spring A Surprise?

Jeremy Hunt will use his final budget before the election