I SHOULD like to draw your readers’ attention to the (possibly) unintended consequences of the police bill:
If the Home Secretary and the police have powers to make regulations without reference to Parliament this leaves a dangerous loophole whereby politicians could misuse the law.
We have seen, across the Atlantic and elsewhere, how easily democracies can be undermined.
If police are given the powers to prevent demonstrations that might be disruptive there is likely to be pressure from repressive governments insisting the police act to stop protests outside their embassies.
I am not only worried by this bill but also by the reviews of the Human Rights Act and Judicial Review.
We have no written constitution which makes it even more important that government actions can be brought to the courts.
Dominic Raab recently pointed out that democracy is at risk world wide and I am horrified to find that the threat comes from this country too.
Disruption is surely a price worth paying to protect our democratic rights.
It is only by means of protest and disruption that we have gained - women’s suffrage, the right to strike and to have public footpaths.
Incidentally Sir Charles Walker who is co-chair of the committee scrutinising the bill has the following statement on his web site. “ the act of protest is a freedom—a freedom, not a right, and unless you cherish freedoms every day, unless you fight for freedoms every day, they end up being taken away from you.”
Marina Marvan
Stroud
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