What restrictions will the new UK Police Bill cause?
How could the new Police Bill change rights to protest?
Who are the target groups of the police and court Bill?
Is the UK moving towards a policing society?
The UK Parliament changed the Police and court bill, which would be in force on October 18, 2022. The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill is a piece of legislation with a tremendously broad scope. The new Police Bill threatens a dynamic society and causes civil society weakness in the UK.
Policing Protests
The UK Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill have had some changes that give more power to the Police. According to the new Bill, the police chiefs can set a time and noise limit on static protests. Police officers can put more conditions on protests and fine protesters even if a single individual conducts a demonstration. So, if the protesters fail to follow the Police’s restrictions, it will become a crime.
Public Activity Restriction
The UK Ministry of Justice has claimed that the new Bill makes provisions to prevent and reduce serious violence. The Bill makes provisions about the power of the Police and other authorities to detect and prevent crimes. It aims to maintain public order concerning driving offences, sentencing, detention, courts, and tribunals. The Police Bill will narrow down general activities and cause civil society weakness in the UK.
Weak Civil Society
The controversial changes of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill propose new crimes that can easily criminalize any protester. The Bill could recklessly lead to a breach of civil rights and cause public anger. People cannot occupy public spaces to protest, and any damage to the common property could lead to years in prison. Although the new Police Bill means to prevent crimes, it leads to civil society weakness in the UK.
No Freedom of Expression
The Bill extends the UK police’s existing power to attack the people’s right to protest. According to the Bill, the UK police could target the manner and method of the protests. The UK police have the power to target the location and the volume of the public demonstrations. Consequently, the Police Bill is a tool to restrict principles of freedom of expression. The UK society could face obstacles to standing up to the State to make its voice heard.
Community Concerns
The new Police and court Bill will directly send the forces into an encounter with the protesters. That sort of law could violate during demonstrations and is a clear threat to a dynamic civil society. The Bill increased concerns among communities and civic groups about the misuse of power and targeting groups. That could weaken the organisation; however, civil society weakness in the UK contrasts with a democratic country.
Green Concerns
Climate activists have concerns over the new changes in the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill. Just Stop Oil Group has said these changes are the criminal actions of the UK government. The green activists of the group believe that the government should stop locking up ordinary people. Protest is a civil right, not a gift from the State, so people should have the right to peaceful protests.
Police Authority
Traditionally, people should be free to gather together and demonstrate their views. However, the State has always legislated rules to impose its power and regulate civil demonstrations. A new civil order will give the UK police additional power to stop and search guiltless individuals. The Police can arrest a person at any time and place, completely free of suspicion. That power will most probably end in civil society weakness in the UK.
Threats to Civil Liberties
Civil rights groups have condemned the Police Bill, calling it an assault on democracy. They have said the Bill undermines some of the citizens’ most fundamental rights. Under human rights law, States must facilitate demonstrations and not suppress them. The UK Police Bill restricts the place and times of protests while threatening to criminalize demonstrators. That is an assault on fundamental civil liberties and results in civil society weakness in the UK.
Counterproductive Consequences
Individuals may be subject to 10-year prison sentences for minor offences or the prospect of constant, suspicion less stop and search. The law will affect communities and all the UK society by dismantling the rights to express their dissent freely. The new measures pose significant threats to human rights and civil liberty. Such actions will have counterproductive outcomes while bringing discrimination and civil society weakness in the UK.
Voiceless Communities
There are concerning elements in the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill regarding police behavior. There has already been an alarming pattern of Police using powers to target people exercising their right to protest intentionally. The new Police Bill allows Police to search almost anyone under protest. The UK police have a record of abusing their stop and search powers against ethnic minorities. So, Police could silence minority communities in the UK quickly.
Ethnic Minority Protesters
The Police Bill and the Nationality and Borders Act could restrict people who oppose the State policies. The Border Act gives the power to the Home Secretary to revoke the British citizenship of dual nationals. The Home Office can deprive someone of their citizenship without prior notification. The controversial Bill threatens millions of ethnic minority citizens across the UK. For example, the UK government could selectively strip a protester of their British citizenship.
Non-White Rights
The new Police Bill and Nationality and Border Bill will affect ethnic minority communities. The UK police could stop and arrest people just for holding banners and chanting. Minor communities that would demonstrate in the UK now fear for their rights. Non-white people are already victims of hate crimes and discrimination. They have been more likely to be stopped and searched by the Police than white people.
Human Rights Breach
The UK government has attacked civil liberties, failing to protect human rights. There is a bleak perspective for civil liberties as civil rights are weak in the UK. The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill imposes new restrictions on peaceful protest and strengthens police powers to crack down on people. The Nationality and Borders Bill will dismantle the UK’s asylum and refugee law regime by creating a fundamentally discriminatory structure. Activists face a civil society weakness in the UK.
Progress & Civil Power
Giving voice to the people or keeping them voiceless would bring different outcomes. People in a dynamic society prefer a stronger sense of participation and power over their lives. That is undoubtedly required to transform society for the better. Civil empowerment is crucial in providing a sense of self-worth in any community. A robust civil society with faith in its values is desirable for the people who seek development and progress. The UK authorities must review the changes they bring to the future of society.
