Update 16/09/20 – Shortly after the article below was published, the government reduced the maximum size of (most) legal gatherings from 30 to 6. Nonetheless, the guidance it offers remains sound (so long as you remember to replace all references to “more than 30 people” with “more than 6”). That said, anyone seeking information on
Tag: Carl Spender
Coronavirus and your right to stay away from work
On Sunday evening, Boris Johnson declared that it was time for the people of England to get back to work. In a characteristically unclear statement, the millionaire PM said: “We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to
Government quietly introduces new lockdown restrictions
At 11am yesterday (Wednesday 22.04.20), the government quietly tightened lockdown restrictions across England. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 amends the previous statutory instrument (SI. 2020/350) that forms the legal basis for lockdown measures, most notably the restrictions on freedom of movement. As I have detailed previously in these pages, the legal
Legal: People are being criminalised for coronavirus offences that don’t exist.
Delirious with fevers and newly extended powers, British cops are well and truly out of control. Whether it’s Derbyshire police following dog walkers with drones or Lancashire constabulary issuing 123 enforcement notices in four days, front line coppers are running around like heavily armed headless chickens, fining, arresting or, in one horrific case, tasering anyone
Legal: Can immigration officers arrest me for obstruction?
Over the last few weeks, we’ve received reports of several activists being arrested for allegedly obstructing immigration enforcement operations. In each case, the arrests were made by immigration officers themselves rather than the police. Understandably, this has caused some confusion amongst activists about the arrest powers wielded by immigration officers. Carl Spender is here to
Britannia chained: The assault on our rights has begun
This week has seen a raft of draconian law & order policies floated by the government and police representatives. Carl Spender examines these grim omens of the future. And so it begins: returned to government with a thumping majority, Johnson’s Tories have begun a crackdown on those pesky legal rights that risk getting in the
Legal: Can I hide my face from facial recognition cameras?
Last Friday the Metropolitan police announced they would begin operational deployment of live facial recognition cameras. But do we have to comply with their use? Carl Spender is here with the answers. Widespread police deployment of facial recognition cameras has been in the offing for a while now. Last year there were trials of automated
The eviction of New Hope anti-fracking camp shows the blurry line between policing and private security
In case you missed it: early this morning, a mob of dog-wielding bailiffs stormed the Camp of New Hope at Preston New Road, evicting frontline anti-fracking activists from what, for some, had been their home for 3 years. The eviction was planned and executed with the supervision of Lancashire police, and, as Freedom reported earlier
Want to annoy the cops? Then bung a few quid at Netpol
The Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) turned 10 this week and, instead of presents, they’re asking for cash. Carl Spender is here to tell us why we should all dig deep. For those not in-the-know: Netpol are the country’s premiere cop-watchers. Their job – which they do damned well – is to monitor what the
Legal: The Tories want to give the police more power to evict and arrest trespassers on land
It is with absolutely no pleasure that we report that Britain’s poundshop Duterte, Priti Patel, is well and truly at it again. Our legal correspondent, Carl Spender, is here with the details. On Sunday 3rd November, the government announced it would launch a consultation on proposals to give the police new powers to remove and