Public Demonstrations (Repeals) Bill is a short Private Member's Bill which has been introduced (First Reading, no debate, as yet) in the House of Lords, It probably has little chance of being passed, but perhaps there might be a chance for some lobbying and debate and media publicity.
If passed, it would simply repeal the controversial Designated Area around Parliament Square, and the slightly less controversial ones around civil nuclear sites, and other Designated Sites, mostly military bases, so far, but technically any Crown property.
Public Demonstrations (Repeals) Bill [HL]Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: My Lords, I beg to introduce a Bill to amend certain provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and other legislative restraints on public demonstrations; and for connected purposes. I beg to move that this Bill be now read a first time.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Bill read a first time, and ordered to be printed.
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23 Nov 2006 : Column 432
It is well worth writing a letter or even a Christmas card, to support the Liberal Democrat Peer
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer who has proposed this Bill:
Write (the form of address for a Baroness is "Dear Lady Miller,") to:
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
Email: millers@parliament.uk or info@suemiller.org.uk
Website: www.suemiller.org.uk
The online poll on her website is currently running 2 to 1 in favour of freedom to demonstrate peacefully without prior Police permission.
Here is the Full text of the BIll. apart from the Schedule:
1 Repeal of offences of trespassing on designated site and of demonstrating without authorisation in the vicinity of Parliament(1) The following provisions are repealed—
(a) sections 128 to 131 of the 2005 Act (trespass on designated site);
(b) sections 132 to 138 of the 2005 Act (demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament); and
(c) section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (c. 11) (trespassing etc on nuclear sites).
(2) The following Orders are revoked—
(a) the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/3447); and
(b) the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Area) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1537).(3) In this Act “the 2005 Act” means the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15).
(4) The enactments mentioned in Schedule 1 are repealed or revoked to the extent specified.
2 Short title, commencement and extent
(1) This Act may be cited as the Public Demonstrations (Repeals) Act 2007.
(2) This Act comes into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which it is passed.
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