IN HIS SPEECH to the House of Commons on the Public Order minister Giles Shaw said this was one of the most significant legislative events in the last decade. Hailed by the Thatcher government as part of their 'law and order' campaign, in fact it won't have any effect at all on rising Since November 1979 one million more crimes per year have been recorded. The reality is that crime is on the increase under the Tory government. During the miners strike, the police were usmovement. They. have played the same sort of role among the black inner-city communities for years. The police are not accountable to the community. And the community is increasingly alienated by Order Bill. It has little to do with so-called law and order — and much more to do with inhibiting the freedom of the traditional political processes.
Three significant aspects of the Bill are worth highlighting. demonstrations a lot more difficult to organise -and dangerous to attend. Freedom of assembly is a basic civil liberty. This Bill means we are going to need permission from the police the government.
The police can impose conditions on tne auration, route and numbers involved in demonstrations. And seven-days' adyanced notice of marches is required. This latter requirement is likely to be used to rule out urgent and immediate responses to local grievances — like the protest at Brixton nole soon Groce, or at Tottenham against the death of Cynthia Jarrett or national been held at the South African embassy.
The police will have discretion to waive this notice, but that means they are being given an explicitly political role. They whether not they politically. this Bill there will be more rights on the public highway for vehicles than for people.
The second aspect of the Bill is that 'disorderly conduct' will be introduced as a criminal offence. This is a catch-all. A police officer can claim it — and there is the devil of a job to prove otherwise. For example, you could appear in court charged with breach of the peace. After you had successfully defended yourself and the charge had been lost, the magistrate could announce that he found you guilty of 'disorderly conduct. Ergo, you are guilty of something you were never charged with in the first place!
The police already have breach of the peace powers to arrest violent offenders, so what is the purpose of this additional offence? It will be used Third, the Bill purports to deal with racial harassment. It introduces an offence of 'incitewelcome any tightening of the law on this, the Public Order Bill does not do that. On behalf of the Campaign group of MPs, I have introduced a racial harassment bill aimed at making racial altacks and harassment a specific criminal offerice. That very point is rejected by the Tories and absent The famous acquittal of Kingsley Reed -remember showed how Under the 1965 Public Order Act, the attourney general's permission is needed for a prosecution.
The new Bill doesn't tighten up on this. Neither does il extena lne existing broadcasting. As far as I am aware it deals only with the distribution of literature. So, you could be stopped from giving out racist leaflets. But you could appear on radio or TV immediately and repeat verbatim leaflet.
The intention of the Bill is a political clampwomen, at strikers, And it is intended to enshrine in law what the police are already doing.
'Capitalism gives to each and everyone of us a great opportunity, if only we seize it with both hands.' Owen who said that — it was Al Capone. And that 6. is what the Public Order Bill is intended for: 10 ratify by legislation the Al Capone tactics that the state is already using against the British labour HUVCHICL.
Bill, home office against the labour LIC That is the real background to the Public the intended make - and that means of Cherry - like some of the protests that have deciding regard a march or acceptable.