Akiko Hart and Andy Cooke questioned on the state of the right to protest
The Human Rights Committee’s new inquiry examines the state of protest in the UK and whether the right balance is currently struck between the duty to protect the wider public and the duty to respect the right to protest.
Meeting details
In recent years, legislation has been passed giving the police more powers to restrict protest. New criminal offences for protest related activities have also been established. The government has argued that reforms were necessary to deal with the nature of modern protests that have become “faster, more decentralised and more disruptive”. It also warned that the growth of protests was placing intolerable pressure on police resources.
In the opening session of the inquiry, the Committee will examine the value of protest, whether it has changed in recent years and the impact of legislative changes on the right to protest. It will also consider whether the benefits and democratic importance of protests outweigh the threats and disruption protests may pose.