‘Nearly 200 homeless people in London have been arrested in the past two years under a Georgian-era act that criminalises rough sleeping, new figures show.’
The Independent, 8th August 2024
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The Government has tabled amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill tightening the definition of ‘nuisance rough sleeping’ after MPs expressed concerns about the breadth of the legislation’s provisions.’
Local Government Lawyer, 15th May 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘More than 1,000 homeless people have been arrested for sleeping rough or begging since the government pledged to scrap the nearly 200-year-old Vagrancy Act, new figures show.’
The Guardian, 2nd April 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The government has proposed replacing previously repealed legislation that makes begging and rough sleeping a criminal offence. The move comes after parliament scrapped the Vagrancy Act, a 200-year-old law that criminalised sleeping rough and begging in England and Wales. The Act was repealed through an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (PCSCA) in April.’
Each Other, 7th July 2022
Source: eachother.org.uk
‘The government has announced it will repeal the Vagrancy Act, which allows police to arrest people for sleeping rough or begging in England and Wales.’
BBC News, 22nd February 2022
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A group of peers are urging the government to repeal the Vagrancy Act which makes it a criminal offence to sleep rough or beg in England and Wales.’
BBC News, 25th November 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A group of former rough sleepers who were left destitute after the Department for Work and Pensions automatically deducted a third of their universal credit allowance to pay off court fines have won a high court victory.’
The Guardian, 18th March 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A landmark high court case will determine whether fines for begging, loitering and leaving bedding in doorways unfairly targets homeless people, after a fundraising campaign for legal costs reached its target.’
The Guardian, 4th November 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A human rights organisation is taking the national provider of legal aid to court because it is refusing to help rough sleepers challenge councils over the use of potentially unlawful powers to move them on.’
The Guardian, 23rd October 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Beggars in the Dorset town of Poole will be issued with fines of £100, its council has said. Despite heavy criticism Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) will be introduced from 16 April in a bid to “tackle anti-social and nuisance behaviours.” ‘
The Independent, 16th March 2018
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The Leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead has written to the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley calling for the use of The Vagrancy Act 1824 or the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 in tackling anti-social behaviour including aggressive begging and intimidation ahead of the Royal Wedding in May this year.’
Local Government Lawyer, 5th January 2018
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Arresting beggars has become a “last resort”, the police say, as new figures show that prosecutions have fallen by 40 per cent in two years.’
Daily Telegraph, 31st July 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘More than one in three councils (36%) are targeting rough sleepers with enforcement measures such as Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) and Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), research by national homelessness charity Crisis has suggested.’
Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2017
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Four Nottingham City Council posters urging people not to give money to beggars have been banned for being likely to cause widespread offence and reinforcing negative stereotypes.’
The Independent, 28th September 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Prosecutions for begging have rocketed across England and Wales over the past year with dramatic increases recorded in many police force areas. The number of cases brought to court under the 1824 Vagrancy Act has surged by 70%, prompting concerns that cuts to support services and benefits are pushing more people to resort to begging.’
The Guardian, 30th November 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Crown Prosecution Service claims there is “significant public interest” in prosecuting men arrested for taking discarded food.’
The Guardian, 28th January 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A convicted burglar who broke into an artists’ workshop has been fined just 1p after a deal was agreed with the prosecution.”
Daily Telegraph, 13th May 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Akhurst v Director of Public Prosecutions
Queen’s Bench Divisional Court
“University grounds and buildings were not an enclosed area for the purposes of the Vagrancy Act 1824 which referred to any dwelling house, warehouse, coach house, stable or outhouse, enclosed yard, garden or area.”
The Times, 13th April 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Akhurst v Director of Public Prosecutions; [2009] WLR (D) 96
“University grounds and buildings were not an enclosed area within the meaning of s 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824.”
WLR Daily, 13th March
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
1824 Act is used with caution
JL (a Youth) v. Director of Public Prosecutions
Queen’s Bench Division
“An accused was deemed a rogue and vagabond where he had been discovered in an enclosed yard and had criminal conduct in mind.”
The Times, 8th October 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from teh date of publication
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