EHRC responds to Public Order Act thresholds for ‘serious disruption’

Article summary

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published a response to the Public Order Act 2023 (POA 2023) and proposed thresholds for the definition of ‘serious disruption’. This comment follows updates from Parliament regarding a debate held on 13 June 2023, on the government’s draft regulations to the Public Order Act 1986 (POA 1986) which could curtail the right to peaceful protest guaranteed through the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998) and Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The EHRC has highlighted that the draft Public Order Act 1986 (Serious Disruption to the Life of the Community) Regulations 2023, will introduce thresholds for the definition of ‘serious disruption’, which Parliament rejected during the passage of the POA 2023. Accordingly, the EHRC urges Parliament to subject these regulations to detailed scrutiny. The EHRC has also written to the Home Secretary asking the government to take steps...