| PROTESTS, DEMONSTRATIONS, MARCHES ~ | | | | Court, although it considered the reasons of the |
| DISORDER and CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC | | | | police to be meagre, it could not overturn it unless, s. |
| ORDER LAWS | | | | 12 Public Order Act 1986, they had not given any |
| (Based on author's site | | | | reason at all. |
| The UK has not a written constitution, nor a Bill of | | | | The Public Order Act 1936 prohibited the wearing of |
| Rights; but it is a signatory to the Universal | | | | political uniforms publicly if not for a ceremonial or |
| Declaration of Human Rights, and it has incorporated | | | | special occasion, s. 1 Public Order Act 1986 also |
| into its law by the Human Rights Act 1988 the | | | | prohibits that if for the purpose of promoting any |
| European Convention on Human Rights, Articles 10 & | | | | political object, and O'Moran -v- DPP 1975 was about |
| 11 of which set out the general freedom to protest | | | | the IRA. |
| and demonstrate -to gather to express a collective | | | | The former Act made it an offence to use abusive |
| viewpoint. | | | | or threatening language in public meetings; in the |
| These freedoms are subject to not being exercised | | | | latter s. 3 is about 'affray' referring to violence as |
| for unlawful purposes or in unlawful ways contained | | | | being that which would cause a person of reasonable |
| mainly in such laws of England as the Public Order | | | | courage to fear for his safety, s. 2 is 'violent disorder' |
| Acts 1936 & 1986 and the Criminal Justice and Public | | | | if affray by three or more together, s. 5 is 'riot' if |
| Order Act 1994. | | | | affray by twelve or more persons together, under |
| Under Public Order Act 1936 it is an offence for | | | | the Criminal Justice Act 1994 'raves' is organising a |
| people to meet only if within a mile of the Houses of | | | | rave after having been ordered to disperse, and |
| the Parliament when the Parliament is sitting, in | | | | 'aggravated trespass' is disrupting others' lawful |
| numbers more than fifty; and the Department of the | | | | pursuits on private land. |
| Environment has considered whether to continue to | | | | There have been interest groups for the protection |
| allow in Hyde Park and at Trafalgar Square public | | | | and betterment of human assembly rights, and now |
| meetings. | | | | British Courts also can deal with alleged breaches of |
| The right of assembly is subject to giving written | | | | those rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 -which |
| notice of it to the police stating the date and time, | | | | allows also to pursue them in the European Human |
| the route, and the name and address of the | | | | Rights Court. |
| organiser. The police may, if it considers that a public | | | | But, that the former Public Order Act resulted from |
| meeting may cause serious disorder or serious | | | | the British Fascist Party's attacks, and that O'Moran |
| damage to property or serious disruption of the life | | | | was in relation to terrorism and that there are |
| of the community, make public meetings subject to | | | | exceptions and expectations of Britain by Europe, |
| conditions in respect of the venue and the duration | | | | reasonably rules out concern over the exercise of |
| of them and the maximum numbers that may meet | | | | these rights in England lawfully. |
| and the route -they may dictate them; or they may | | | | The above are an outline and while laws change may |
| ban public meetings, and in Kent -v- Metropolitan | | | | be basically a useful guideline about protests and |
| Police Commissioner 1981 (a wedding procession) the | | | | demonstrations. |