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Seasons of change?

05 December 2019 / Neil Parpworth
Issue: 7867 / Categories: Features
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The ‘Autumn Uprising’: a public assembly or assemblies? Neil Parpworth investigates
  • Roots of the Autumn Uprising: the Extinction Rebellion.
  • Legislative framework: the Public Order Act.
  • The decision: interpreting s 14 powers.

The common law recognises that the citizen has a right to protest and that such a right is closely entwined with freedom of speech: see, for example, the remarks of Lord Denning in Hubbard v Pitt [1976] QB 142, [1975] 3 All ER 1 [1975] 1 All ER 1056 and the decisions in R v Roberts [2019] 1 WLR 2577, [2018] All ER (D) 34 (Dec) and Redmond-Bate v DPP [2000] HRLR 249, [1999] All ER (D) 864. Since the enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998, the citizen has also been able to rely directly upon the Convention rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as protected by Arts 10 and 11, before domestic courts. Where they have done so, judges have been quick to echo the sentiments of the Strasbourg court that such rights are hallmarks

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
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