A new campaign group has warned that street preachers and carol singers could end up in court if government plans for Injunctions to prevent nuisance and annoyance (Ipnas) come into place.
The new injunctions would replace Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and would be easier to obtain, according to ministers.
Opposition
But opponents of the measures argue that the injunctions would inadvertently see ordinary people fall foul of the law.
The concerns centre around the wording of the legislation, which would criminalise behaviour “capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to any person”.
Critics say that it is badly worded and that almost any action could be construed as a “nuisance” or “annoyance”.
The group joins former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord MacDonald in criticising the proposals.
Campaign
The Reform Clause 1 campaign is hoping to convince Parliamentarians of this so that the legislation can be redrafted. Peers are currently debating the proposals.
The new campaign group is backed by a range of organisations including the Christian Institute and the National Secular Society.
Simon Calvert, Reform Clause 1 campaign director, said: “This is a crazy law. It will not deter thugs and hooligans who are normally already breaking lots of other laws anyway.
“But it will give massive power to the authorities to seek court orders to silence people guilty of nothing more than breaching political correctness or social etiquette.”
The group’s website gives several examples of people who could end up in court if the wording of the legislation remains unchanged, including a street preacher and a group of carol singers.
“Absurd”
Christian Concern’s Andrea Minichiello Williams commented:
“This legislation is a threat to free speech and could easily end up penalising people simply for expressing unpopular opinions.
“We all have to deal with annoyances. This is part of day to day life. But to use annoyance as a ground for an injunction verges on the absurd.
“At a time when we’re seeing street preachers more frequently arrested for no good reason, this legislation threatens to make the situation even worse.”
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