Select Committee · Human Rights (Joint Committee)
Security, safety and protest: the role of Human Rights
Status: Open
Opened: 11 Mar 2026
Inquiry scope
The Joint Committee on Human Rights has launched a new inquiry to examine recent changes to laws relating to protest. In recent years, Parliament has passed legislation to give police more powers to police and restrict protest. New criminal offences have been established for protest related activities. The Government has argued that the growth of protests in recent years had placed an intolerable pressure on police resources. It also cited the changing nature of protest, with an increase in “guerilla tactics” causing unacceptable levels of disruption to wider society and fear in targeted communities. Civil liberties organisations and protest groups have criticised the measures for restricting the right to protest, warning that the crackdown on protest and harsh new powers that treats the peaceful expression of dissent as a criminal act. In this new inquiry, the Joint Committee on Human Rights will examine if the Government has struck the right balance between its duty to protect the public and its duty to respect the right to protest. It will also examine the reforms meet the UK’s human rights obligations. Launching the inquiry, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Lord David Alton said: “The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Everyone should have the opportunity to have their voice heard and to express their views. Equally, wider society is entitled to go about their without undue disruption or fear. We have launched this inquiry to look at the Government’s approach to balancing these rights. “We want to understand if the expansion of police powers relating to protest has been proportionate or if they will have a chilling effect on the right to protest. We will also examine if the new laws are effective in protecting wider society from the potential negative consequences of disruptive protest.”Oral evidence sessions
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2026 |
Oral evidence session
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Armes · National Police Chiefs' Council,
Assistant Chief Constable Jennifer Wilson · Merseyside Police,
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough · National Police Chiefs' Council,
Claire Haynes · Metropolitan Police
|
View ↗ |
| 15 Apr 2026 |
Oral evidence session
Akiko Hart · Liberty,
Dr Richard Martin · LSE,
Paul Parker · Quakers in Britain,
Prof Geoff Pearson · University of Manchester,
Prof Katrina Navickas · University of Hertfordshire,
Raj Chada · Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors,
Sir Andy Cooke · Fire and Rescue Services
|
View ↗ |
Written evidence
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Reference | Date | Submitter |
|---|---|---|
| SSP0057 | 3 Sep 2026 | Assistant Chief Constable Jennifer Wilson, Merseyside Police |
Who gave evidence
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Akiko Hart · Director | Liberty | 1 |
| Assistant Chief Constable Claire Armes · Lead for Public Order Public Safety Tactics, Training & Equipment | National Police Chiefs' Council | 1 |
| Assistant Chief Constable Jennifer Wilson · Contact and Crime Management, Matrix, Force Operations and Criminal Justice, and Strategic Lead for Public Order and Public Safety | Merseyside Police | 1 |
| Chief Constable Mark Hobrough · Lead for Public Order | National Police Chiefs' Council | 1 |
| Claire Haynes · Detective Superintendent | Metropolitan Police | 1 |
| Dr Richard Martin · Associate Professor of Law | LSE | 1 |
| Paul Parker · Recording Clerk | Quakers in Britain | 1 |
| Prof Geoff Pearson · Professor of Law | University of Manchester | 1 |
| Prof Katrina Navickas · Professor of History | University of Hertfordshire | 1 |
| Raj Chada · Partner and Head of Crime, Financial and Regulatory Department | Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors | 1 |
| Sir Andy Cooke · former HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector | Fire and Rescue Services | 1 |