Author Archives: Simon Calvert

Simon Calvert

The Independent View: Anti-Social Behaviour Bill – A new legal threat to public protest

By Simon Calvert | Wed 13th November 2013 - 12:24 pm

The Coalition Government is introducing a law which could seriously hit the right to protest. The Home Office wants to replace Labour’s ASBOs with something called an IPNA – Injunction Preventing Nuisance or Annoyance. But the threshold is so low and the safeguards are so weak that it could catch ordinary legitimate protest, charity collectors, or even street performers.

An IPNA could apply inside a private dwelling (ie your own house) as well as in a public place. It could apply to any activity which has merely the ‘potential’ to be annoying or a nuisance. Courts can grant an IPNA on …

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Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Tagged and | 11 Comments
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