US EditionUK loses appeal over tougher police powers for street protests
- The UK government lost a Court of Appeal bid on 2 May 2025 that upheld a High Court ruling declaring anti-protest regulations unlawful.
- The case arose from regulations introduced in June 2023 by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman using secondary legislation to lower thresholds for police intervention.
- Liberty, supported by the Public Law Project, challenged the regulations for bypassing parliamentary scrutiny and significantly restricting protest rights, particularly affecting climate and Palestine activists.
- The ruling stated 'serious' disruption cannot mean 'more than minor,' and described the use of statutory instruments as a 'flagrant abuse of power' by the government, setting a crucial precedent for parliamentary sovereignty.
- The judgment implies the government must scrap the unlawful legislation, respect protest rights, and ensure future laws undergo proper parliamentary debate and scrutiny.
5 Articles
5 Articles
UK loses appeal over tougher police powers for street protests
Britain's attempt to give police wider powers to impose conditions on street protests was rejected by London's Court of Appeal on Friday, a decision the civil rights group Liberty described as "a huge victory for democracy".
Government loses appeal over controversial anti-protest law
Justice Government loses appeal over controversial anti-protest law Labour had fought to keep Suella Braverman’s legislation allowing police to crack down on ‘more than minor’ disruption Anita Mureithi and Aisha Rimi – 2 May 2025 Home secretary Yvette Cooper and the government have lost their appeal against a ruling that anti-protest laws are unlawful. Photograph by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images The government has lost its appeal against a Hi…
Court of Appeal dismisses Government's appeal over anti-protest laws - Public Law Project
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the former Home Secretary Suella Braverman acted unlawfully when she used statutory instruments to make regulations that significantly restricted the right to public protest. Liberty won the initial judicial review against the Home Office in May 2024, in which Public Law Project (PLP) acted as an intervener. PLP also intervened in the Government’s subsequent appeal in December 2024. But the Court of Appeal has …
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