Source · Select Committees · Human Rights (Joint Committee)
Recommendation 15
15
Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government should conduct post-legislative review of the impact of this Bill,...
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government should conduct post-legislative review of the impact of this Bill, the Public Order Act 2023 and the public order elements of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 on the exercise of the right to protest before embarking on any further legislative change in this area. (Recommendation, Paragraph 99) 57
Government Response Summary
The government committed to expedited post-legislative scrutiny for the Public Order Act 2023 beginning in May 2025, and stated that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the current Bill will undergo standard post-legislative scrutiny 3-5 years after Royal Assent.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
As the Committee notes, there has been a series of changes to public order legislation in recent years. The Government keeps all public order legislation under constant review, and where gaps are identified, we will seek to address them. Legislative decisions in recent years have been made in the context of a sustained increase in protest-related activity, including incidents that have caused serious disruption to communities. Each measure has been developed to address specific operational challenges raised by law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders and has been subject to full parliamentary scrutiny. To ensure the right to peacefully protest is respected, the Government has reaffirmed the commitment made by the previous administration to undertake expedited post-legislative scrutiny on all aspects of the Public Order Act 2023 which began in May 2025. The Government will carefully consider the outputs of that review and continue to monitor the implementation of public order legislation to ensure that powers are used appropriately and proportionately. In the normal way, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the Crime and Policing Bill (once enacted) will be subject to post-legislative scrutiny between three and five years after Royal Assent.