‘In 4 August 2011, Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police in Tottenham, north London, sparking the largest civil unrest the UK has seen for a generation. The disturbance quickly spread and for five nights, London, Birmingham, and other major cities in England were engulfed by fire and violence.’
The Guardian, 30th July 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Pressures in the criminal justice system meant it failed to distinguish between repeat offenders and people “caught up” in the 2011 English riots, a former chief prosecutor has said.’
The Guardian, 1st August 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against the English Football Association in the wake of chaotic scenes at the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at Wembley.’
The Independent, 14th July 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The Supreme Court has ruled that protests can be a “lawful excuse” to block roads, as the government pushes for new laws to limit peaceful demonstrations. Britain’s most senior judges said it was right to acquit a group of protesters who blockaded the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London in 2017.’
The Independent, 26th June 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Massive gaps in the law allow terrorism to be glorified and hatred to be spread, and a major crackdown is needed to stop more violence being triggered, an official report has said.’
The Guardian, 24th February 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘More than 1,000 people who took part in environmental direct action organised by Extinction Rebellion have been taken to court in what experts say is one of the biggest crackdowns on protest in British legal history.’
The Guardian, 8th January 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Fewer than one in 200 complaints made against the division of the Metropolitan police responsible for public order policing over the last decade have been upheld, figures obtained by the Guardian suggest.’
The Guardian, 15th October 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Police are reviewing a controversial investigation into an interview with historian David Starkey to ensure it is “proportionate”.’
The Independent, 14th October 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘West Ham said they have a “zero-tolerance approach” to any kind of discrimination after four men were convicted of public order offences following an investigation into homophobic behaviour at a Premier League game.’
The Independent, 4th October 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A Wetherspoon customer who sent a banana to a black man in the same pub has been convicted of a racist hate crime and ordered to pay over £1,200 in fines and court costs.’
The Independent, 17th September 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Fines of up to £10,000 for those organising illegal raves in England will come into force on Friday following another weekend of unlawful gatherings across the country.’
The Guardian, 23rd August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Pro-democracy activists have launched a private prosecution in London against five British officers working for the Hong Kong police, alleging they have taken part in brutal actions against protesters.’
The Guardian, 10th August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘No charges will be brought over the death of Belly Mujinga, the railway worker who died of Covid-19 after allegedly being spat on while at work, prosecutors have decided after reviewing the evidence.’
The Guardian, 6th August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 enshrines the right to the freedom of expression and Article 11 establishes the right of freedom of assembly and association. However, these rights are qualified, meaning that, in certain circumstances, these rights can be interfered with. The interference with these rights must be proportionate and necessary in the pursuit of a legitimate aim. For example, protestor rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly may be compromised where this is necessary in order to ensure public safety, prevent crime or disorder, protect the rights of others, or national security.’
St Pauls Chambers, 18th July 2020
Source: www.stpaulschambers.com
‘Strobe lights, thumping bass, a warehouse or field and hundreds, possibly thousands of sweat-drenched people dancing through the night.’
BBC News, 26th June 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A number of protests were held across the country and the world in response to the brutal killing of George Floyd in the United States. Although the protests were largely peaceful, there was some tension between the police and protesters over the weekend. This unfortunately resulted in some protesters and Legal Observers being kettled by the police. This note will provide a brief overview of the law surrounding the various tactics used by the police to disperse protests and maintain the peace. Some of the most commonly used tactics include kettling (otherwise known as containment) and the use of dispersal orders under s.35 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The note will also focus on what constitutes ‘anti-social behaviour’ in the context of protests.’
3PB, 18th June 2020
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
‘British courts are preparing to fast-track prosecutions for the Black Lives Matter protests, as justice secretary Robert Buckland has told magistrates to model the process along the lines of the response to rioting in London in 2011, The Times reported.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th June 2020
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘ “Mob justice” could increase in England and Walesunless more money is made available to clear the backlog of court cases swollen by coronavirus, the government has been warned.’
BBC News, 29th May 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘More than 300 prosecutions for assaults on police and emergency workers were completed during the first month of lockdown, the director of public prosecutions, Max Hill QC, has revealed.’
The Guardian, 21st May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
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