Suella Braverman acted unlawfully by making it easier to criminalise protests, court rules
GuardianMay 22
UK: Court Rules New Police Powers to Curb Protests Are Unlawful
Above: Supporters of Just Stop Oil march across London behind a banner saying 'No Prison For Peaceful Protest' on December 2, 2023 in London, England. Image copyright: Martin Pope/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
An attempt by the UK government to lower the threshold of when police can restrict peaceful protests was ruled unlawful in London's High Court on Tuesday.
Civil rights group Liberty had challenged the government policy, which lowered the threshold for "serious disruption" from "significant" and "prolonged" to "more than minor." The measures also allowed police to take into account "any relevant cumulative disruption" of repeated protests.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The right to process is a vital part of democracy. However, we have seen on too many occasions that the actions of extremists go beyond what can be defined as peaceful protest, and police have been restricted by insufficient powers to respond. These measures are intended to protect democratic processes from disruption and intimidation.
Establishment-critical narrative
The court's ruling to quash the government's attempt to introduce more police powers to crack down on protests through the backdoor is a win for democracy and greatly welcomed. The government should listen to the complaints of protestors rather than seek to have them shut down and arrested.