The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is legislation with huge scope. Some of its most concerning proposals focus on protest, criminalisation of trespass and the strategy for tackling serious violence.
The Bill extends the police’s already extensive powers, creates new offences, and targets demonstrations. It fundamentally restricts our freedom of assembly and expression, and undermines our ability to stand up to the State and make our voices heard.
From our experience as activists spied on by undercover police, and from the evidence in the first tranche of the public inquiry into undercover policing (UCPI), it is clear that state control of protest is nothing new. This latest piece of legislation is its latest attack.
We are fiercely opposed to this bill.
For further information about the bill, read Liberty’s briefing document here.
Read about Kate Wilson’s case claiming the police breach of her human rights including right to freedom of assembly and expression, and right to a private life. The verdict in Kate’s case is due later in 2021.
Listen below to Professor Mary Davis interview trade union activists Dave Smith and Lois Austin explain how spycops aimed to sabotage the impact of protest.
