Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Paragraph: 23
King's Coronation did not adequately test new Public Order Act powers.
Conclusion
Disruptive tactics by protest organisers led to the Government enacting new legislation to provide the police with more powers, via the Public Order Act 2023. Some of these powers were used for the first time during the policing of the King’s Coronation, but the occasion was not necessarily a good test of the effectiveness of these new powers as it did not involve large-scale use of the kind of tactics the Act was intended to address.
Government Response Summary
The government states it works closely with police to ensure they have the necessary tools to minimise serious disorder, citing the Public Order Act 2023 and further measures in the Crime and Justice Bill as evidence of this ongoing commitment.
Paragraph Reference:
23
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government works closely with the police to ensure it has the tools it needs to minimise serious disorder. There has been significant engagement with policing colleagues throughout the process of updating public order legislation, resulting in the measures included on the Public Order Act 2023. Where any gaps are identified in the police’s ability to tackle disruptive protests, the Government has shown that it will act, as demonstrated by the introduction of the Public Order Act 2023 and the further public order measures in the Crime and Justice Bill currently in parliament.