CIVICUS discusses the UK’s proposed Crime and Policing Bill with members of Liberty, the country’s largest civil liberties organisation, which campaigns for everyone to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect.

On 10 November, members of the House of Lords began a detailed examination of the Crime and Policing Bill at committee stage. Introduced by the government in February, the bill grants police extensive new powers to restrict protests, including provisions on face coverings, exclusion zones near places of worship and cumulative disruption from repeated demonstrations. Human rights organisations have condemned it as a serious threat to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and warn it reflects a broader trend of the increasing restriction of civic space in the UK.

What does the Crime and Policing Bill propose, and what risks might it pose?

The Crime and Policing Bill now being debated in parliament is one of the most far-reaching attempts in recent years to curtail the right to protest. If passed, it would allow police to impose restrictions based on vague ideas of ‘likely’ criminality rather than actual threats, putting even lawful protesters at risk of arrest and prosecution. For example, officers could stop people wearing face coverings at demonstrations, even when done for health, religious or safety reasons.

The bill also targets protests near places of worship, giving police the power to limit gatherings if anyone may feel intimidated, without defining what that means or where restrictions apply. This ambiguity could create broad exclusion zones around churches, mosques and synagogues, turning them into areas where protests are de facto banned.

A new clause on ‘cumulative disruption’ would also let authorities block protests in places where repeated demonstrations are seen as inconvenient. This could end longstanding protest traditions, such as weekly vigils and recurring demonstrations.

Taken together, these powers would allow the police to decide how, when and where people can exercise their right to assemble. They would lower the threshold for police intervention and open the door to arbitrary and inconsistent enforcement. This uncertainty could have a chilling effect, resulting in fewer people being willing to take to the streets out of fear of criminalisation, and would further shrink civic space in the UK.

How does the government justify the need for these new powers?

They government says it needs more powers to restrict protests. But the UK already has wide-ranging laws to do that when people’s actions become unlawful, including to deal with harassment, obstruction and violence. These new powers are not about improving public safety but about giving the state more control over protests. By broadening what counts as disruption and giving police pre-emptive authority to intervene, the bill risks turning peaceful assemblies into criminal acts, weakening a core democratic freedom.

How is civil society responding?

Civil society organisations are challenging the bill inside and outside parliament. Liberty is briefing members of the House of Lords, gathering testimonies from affected communities and pushing for amendments to narrow the bill’s scope. We are calling for safeguards to prevent abuse, including the right for anyone wearing a face covering to explain their reasons when approached by the police, rather than later in court. We are also pushing for the removal of the cumulative disruption clause altogether, as it criminalises persistent advocacy and punishes long-term campaigns.

We are ready to use all available legal and parliamentary tools to defend fundamental rights. And if the bill passes, it will likely face legal challenges for breaching the UK’s obligations under international human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights.

What happens next, and how can people get involved?

The most controversial clauses of the bill are currently being debated in the House of Lords. After that, it will return to the House of Commons for final consideration before it can become law. We urge people to contact peers and members of parliament, urge them to oppose the bill and defend the right to peaceful assembly.

We also encourage people to stay informed through our campaign updates and join our ongoing advocacy efforts. The bill poses a serious threat to democratic freedoms, and public awareness and mobilisation are key to resisting its passage. The right to protest is not a privilege granted by the state. It is a fundamental freedom that underpins all others, and we must defend it.