Serious Organized Crime and Police Bill -- Authorisation for demonstrations in a designated area — 7 Feb 2005 at 22:05

The Aye-voters inserted six new clauses, in addition to the clause they passed in the previous vote into the Serious Organized Crime and Police Bill restricting protest in Parliament Square.

The new clauses can be found in the version that was delivered to the House of Lords after the debate. hey can be abreviated as follows:

New Clause 19, Clause 130: A person seeking authorisation for a demonstration in the designated area must give written notice to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner 6 days before the demonstration is to start. The notice must state, date, time, place, how long it is to last, whether it is to be carried on by a person by himself or not, and the name and address of the person giving the notice.

New clause 20, Clause 131: In giving authorisation, the Commissioner may impose conditions necessary for preventing the hindrance to any person wishing to enter or leave the Palace of Westminster, hindrance to the operation of Parliament, serious public disorder, serious damage to property, disruption to the life of the community, a security risk in any part of the designated area, or a risk to the safety of members of the public. The conditions may impose requirements on the place, times, period, number of persons, the number and size of banners or placards used, and the maximum permissible noise levels. Each person who takes part in or organises a demonstration in the designated area is guilty of an offence if he knowingly fails to comply with a condition or he knows or should have known that the demonstration is carried on otherwise than in accordance with the authorisation.

New Clause 21, Clause 132 The senior police office on the scene may give directions to those taking part in or organising the demonstration imposing or varying conditions already imposed. A person taking part in or organising the demonstration who knowingly fails to comply with a condition which is applicable to him and which is imposed or varied by a direction under this section is guilty of an offence.

New Clause 22, Clause 133: A person guilty of organising an unauthorised demonstration or one that does not conform to the conditions is liable to imprisonment for up to 51 weeks, and a level 4 fine. A person guilty of taking part in an unauthorised demonstration is liable to a level 3 fine. A person guilty of inciting another to organize or take part in an unauthorised demonstration is liable to imprisonment for up to 51 weeks, and a level 4 fine. A constable in uniform may arrest without warrant anyone he believes is committing any of these offences.

New clause 23, Clause 134: A loudspeaker shall not be operated, at any time or for any purpose, in a street in the designated area... except on a hovercraft.

New clause 24, Clause 135: The Secretary of State may specify a designated area as any area within one kilometre in a straight line from Parliament Square. The precise dimensions of this area was not revealed to the public until four months later in Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1537.

(The vote also specified that new clauses 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17 be added to the Bill, but the presentation makes it too difficult to find out what these were.)

Debate in Parliament | Historical Hansard | Source |