To the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Justice.
We write to share our urgent concern over the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which is soon to be debated in the House of Lords.
This Bill will have a profound impact on the right to protest, constitutes a direct threat to Gypsy and Traveller communities and includes a host of expansive policing and sentencing powers that will further entrench racial disparity in the criminal justice system.
During the second reading debate, parliamentarians from across the political spectrum raised concerns about parts 3 and 4 of the Bill. Many said that they expected the controversial aspects of it to be properly scrutinised and improved during Committee Stage. However, the sections of the Bill which restrict protest, criminalise trespass and expand policing powers have emerged from Committee entirely unamended.
At the same time, we have seen:
- Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights state the Bill’s proposals are “oppressive and wrong” and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has stated the measures undermine human rights legislation
- Former senior police officers describe the Bill as “harmful to democracy”.
- Over 700 legal academics call for the Bill to be dropped.
- Three UN Special Rapporteurs, and top human rights officials warn that the Bill threatens our rights.
- Over 600,000 members of the public sign petition against the Bill
- Polling showing that nearly two thirds of the public are concerned about a crackdown on their protest rights.
Government has so far failed to seriously engage with public concerns, criticism of the bill from a wide section of society and its claim to be committed to upholding freedom of speech and assembly has been contradicted by numerous experts.
Civil society groups previously highlighted the lack of time parliamentarians were given to read and understand the Bill, with less than a week between publication and second reading. It was disappointing to see that for Report Stage of the Bill, MPs were given only two and a half hours to debate and then vote once again on over 300 pages of proposals. This is deeply inadequate and prevents MPs from properly debating and scrutinising policies that will have a severe impact on the rights, liberties and freedoms of their constituents.
This Bill continues to represent an attack on some of the most fundamental rights of citizens, in particular those from marginalised communities.
We urge the government to fundamentally rethink its approach.
Yours sincerely,
Gracie Bradley, Interim Director, Liberty
Hugh Knowles & Miriam Turner, Co-Executive Directors, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Sarah Mann, Director, Friends, Families and Travellers
Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive, Bond
Nicholas Hepworth, Executive Director, Water Witness International
Silkie Carlo, Director, Big Brother Watch
Nina Champion, Director, Criminal Justice Alliance
Tom Brake, Director, Unlock Democracy
Sheniz Tan, CEO, Asfar CIC
Mike Podmore, Director, STOPAIDS
Tiziana Oliva, Managing Director, Global influencing and Programmes, Leonard Cheshire Disability
Calvin Laing, Acting Executive Director, Stakeholder Democracy Network
Asad Rehman, Executive Director, War on Want
Deborah Coles, Director, INQUEST
Patrick Roach, General Secretary, NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union
John Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer, International Nepal Fellowship UK
Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy and Communications, CAFOD
Lauren Nickolls, Senior Project Manager, Maslaha
Marc Willers QC, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Josie O Driscoll CEO, GATE Herts
Jake Bowers, Founder, Gypsy Media Company
Yvonne McNamara, CEO, Traveller Movement
Zita Holbourne, National Chair and co-founder, Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK
Lucie Russell, CEO, StreetDoctors
Mark Cridge, Chief Executive, mySociety
Vicky Browning, Chief Executive, ACEVO
Sherrie Smith, Co-Chair, Drive2Survive
Jeremiah Cash, Chair, Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Equally Essex (GATE Essex)
Sarah Vibert, Interim Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary Organisations
Sam Gisagara, Equalities officer, Unite’s Community Branch Camden Town! Unite the Union!
Brian Dalton, CEO, Irish in Britain
Simon Ruston, Director, Ruston Planning Limited
Allison Hulmes, National Director for Wales, British Association of Social Workers
Jackie Bolton, Founding Member, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Social Work Association
Aderonke Apata, Founder and Chairperson, African Rainbow Family
Aaron Oxley, Executive Director, RESULTS UK
Rachel Bentley, CEO, Children on the Edge
Pippa Goodfellow, Director, Alliance for Youth Justice
Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director, Human Rights Watch
Graeme Hodge, CEO, All We Can
Symon Hill, Campaigns and Communications Manager, Peace Pledge Union
Ailie Rutherford, Director, Feminist Exchange Network
Violet Margaret Cannon, Director & CEO, York Travellers Trust
Beatrice Millar, Chair, Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility
Jen Persson, Director, defend digital me
Jessica Mullen, Acting Co-Chief Executive and Director of Influence and Communications, Clinks
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin
Chris Jones, Executive Director, Statewatch
Chris Johnson, Partner, Community Law Partnership
Louise King, Director, Children’s Rights Alliance for England
Philippa Bird, Convenor Creation Justice and Peace Network, Third Order of the Society of St Francis
Alison Blackwood, Manager, Southwark Travellers Action Group
Win Lawlor, Strategic Policy & Partnerships Lead, Irish Community Care
Khatuna Tsintsadze, Co-Director, Zahid Mubarek Trust
Ann Farr, Chair, Pax Christi, England and Wales
Jess McQuail, Director, Just Fair
Suzanne Jeffery, Chair, Campaign against Climate Change
Manuel Cortes, General Secretary, Transport salaried Staffs’ Association
Isobel Ingham-Barrow, Head of Policy, Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND)
Len McCluskey, General Secretary, Unite the Union
Helen Pankhurst, Convener, Centenary Action Group
Paddy Lillis, General Secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW)
Mark Kieran, Chief Executive, Open Britain
Philippa Carrick, CEO, Tibet Relief Fund
Sam Walton, CEO, Free Tibet
Deniz Ugur, Deputy Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW)
Antje Heider-Rottwilm, Chair, Church and Peace – European Peace Church Network
Rob Yeldham, Director of Policy, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Paul Streets, Chief Executive, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales
Katrina Ffrench, Director, Unjust C.I.C
Daniel Bruce, Chief Executive, Transparency International UK
Sacha Deshmukh, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Amnesty International UK
Sarah Woolley, General Secretary, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU)
Shavabah Tah, General Secretary, Wales TUC
Melanie Jameson, Founder, Malvern Individuals for Peace
Jackie Murphy, CEO, TGP Cymru
Suzanne Duval, BAME Mental Health Manager, Diverse Cymru
Rebecca Williams, Deputy General Secretary, Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru
(UCAC)
Leila Usmani Founder, BeDiverse
Cat Hobbs, Director, We Own It
Kate Paradine, Chief Executive, Women in Prison
Razia Hadait, CEO and Founder/Director, Himaya Haven
Karen Onyekachi, Odidika, Coordinator, SOAS Detainee Support
Ellie Gellard, Campaigns Director, 38 Degrees
Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, Humanists UK
Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, Oxfam Great Britain
Representatives, Remember and Resist
Jago Russell, Chief Executive, Fair Trials
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
Gisela Valle, Director, Latin American Women’s Rights Service
Paul W Fleming, General Secretary, Equity
Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters
Kamran Mallick, CEO, Disability Rights UK
Naomi Smith, CEO, Best for Britain
Tom Brufatto, Director, March for Change
Susan, Cueva, Co-founder and Trustee, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
Kunle Olulode, Director, Voice4Change England
Alex Jacobs, Director, Joffe Charitable Trust
Sue Tibballs, Chief Executive, Sheila McKechnie Foundation
Felicia Willow, Interim Chief Executive, The Fawcett Society
Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries, National Education Union
Richard Robinson, CEO, Hourglass
Matt Wrack, General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union
Mick Whelan, General Secretary, ASLEF
Debby Kennett, CEO, London Gypsies and Travellers
Aliya Mohammed, CEO, Race Equality First
Annie Viswanathan, Director, Bail for Immigration Detainees
Humie Webbe, Strategic Equality and Diversity Lead, National Training Federation for Wales
Jessica Turtle, Co-founder, Museum of Homelessness
Jasmine Brar, Development Officer, East End Community Foundation
Elsie Gayle, Director, Midwifery Conversations
Louise Hazan, Co-founder, Tipping Point UK
Hannah Yates, Head of Communications, The Humane League UK
Michelle Le Vine, Occupational Therapist, OTcareservices
Jemima Hartshorn, Founder/Director, Mums for Lungs
Emily Wilson, Head of Programmes, FOUR PAWS UK
Sarah Miguel, Head of Fundraising, Campaign Bootcamp
Michael Chandler, CEO, Union Chapel Project
Wanda Wyporska, Executive Director, The Equality Trust
Jerry Barr, Chair, Transition Cleeve
Joeli Brearley, CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed
Huffty McHugh, Centre Co-ordinator, West End Women and Girls Centre
Jacky Peacock, CEO, Advice for Renters
Representatives, Black Protest Legal Support
Daniel, Gorman, Director, English PEN
Tim Allard, Development Manager, MensCraft
Nusa Urbancic, Campaigns Director, Changing Markets Foundation
Louise Davies, Chief Executive, The Vegan Society
Shashi Ioannides, Acting CEO / Fundraising & Communications Manager, Migrants’ Rights Network
Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu, Bectu sector of Prospect
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive, National AIDS Trust
Jo Grady, General Secretary, University and College Union (UCU)
Alphonsine, Kabagabo, Director, Women for Refugee Women
Martin Drewry, CEO, Health Poverty Action
Katy Styles, Founder, We Care Campaign
Sue Claydon, Chair, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Miriam Donaghy, CEO, MumsAid maternal mental health support
Joel Lewis, Chief Executive, The Foyer Federation
Revd Clare Downing, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church
Mike Clancy, General Secretary, Prospect
Nick Dearden, Director, Global Justice Now
Wendy Micklewright, Member, Friendship Group
Michelle Stanistreet, General Secretary, NUJ
Liz Fekete, Director, Institute of Race Relations
Tracey, Lazard, CEO, Inclusion London
Rocio Cifuentes, CEO, Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team (EYST) Wales
Jacqui Hunt, Head of Office, Equality Now
Mark Hoda, Chair, Gandhi Foundation
William Rhind, Minute Secretary, Wimbledon Disarmament Coalition
Duncan Gall, Head of Federation Support, Emmaus UK
Sarah Greenfield Clark, Director, Climate 2025
Jenni levine, Facilitator, Rising spirit
Tim Naor Hilton, CEO, Refugee Action
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind
Ali Harris, Chief Executive, Equally Ours
Liz O’Neill, Director, GM Freeze
Rev Sonia Hicks, President, The Methodist Church
Polly Neate, Chief Executive, Shelter
Kate Hudson, General Secretary, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Louisa McGeehan, Chief Executive, Just for Kids Law
Sanchita Hosali, Director, The British Institute of Human Rights
Terence Brown, Coordinator, Wandsworth Friends of the Earth
Zrinka Bralo, CEO, Migrants Organise
Luci Ransome, Inverclyde Communuty Food Development Worker, Inverclyde Community Food Network
Leigh Morgan, Senior Legal Officer, Rights of Women
Faith Gakanje-Ajala, Community Development Officer, Fagee Fashions
Celia McKeon, CEO, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
Fiona Weir, CEO, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd
Satbir Singh, Chief Executive, The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
Nik Hartley OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Spinal Injuries Association
Gloria Morrison, Campaign Coordinator, JENGbA
Mary Ann Clements, Interim CEO, ADD International
Sophie Livingstone, CEO, Little Village
Jules Hillier, Chief Executive, Pause
Steve Trent, CEO, Environmental Justice Foundation
Sarah Robinson, Director, Hope for the Future
Jackie Longworth, Chair, Fair Play South West, the women’s equality network
Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive, Stonewall
Roger Geffen, Policy Director, Cycling UK
Sondhya Gupta, Campaign Manager, SumOfUs
Sarah Hirom, Trustee, One World Week
Remi Joseph-Salisbury, Kerry Pimblott and Laura Connelly, Steering Group Members, Northern Police Monitoring Project
Theo Gavrielides, Founder & Director, Restorative Justice for All International Institute
Sue Ward, Church Representative: Christian Aid, Fairtrade, Climate Change, Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral
Deborah Sangster, Director, StopWatch UK
Raheel Mohammed, Director, Maslaha
Greg Sproston, Policy & Campaigns Manager, Traveller Movement
Sue Holt, Coordinator, Havant Friends of the Earth
Beccy Speight, Chief Executive, RPSB
Ellie Rogers, CEO, Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE)
Kevin Keith, Chair, UK Open Government Network
Mark Freeman, CEO, Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service
Jane van Zyl, CEO, Working Families
Melvin Bradley, CEO, Mental Health Independent Support Team
Angus Murdoch, Director, Murdoch Planning Limited
Shanon Shah, Director, Faith for the Climate
Alicja Zalesinska, Director, Tai Pawb
Calum Green, Director of Advocacy & Communications, Involve
Heidi Chow, Executive Director, Jubilee Debt Campaign
Christina McAnea, General Secretary, UNISON
Ruth Power, Chief Executive Officer, Shelter Cymru
Ingrid Tennessee, Chief Executive Officer, Quo Vadis Trust
Paul Davies, CEO, British Mountaineering Council
Michael Lynch, General Secretary, RMT (The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers)
Helen Close, Research Associate, Omega Research Foundation
Paul W Fleming, General Secretary, Equity
Sharon McKenzie, Treasurer, St Mary’s Centre
Olivia Fuchs, Coordinator, Eco Dharma Network
Robert Moore, Company Secretary, North Wales Regional Equality Network
Jamie Cresswell, Director, Centre for Applied Buddhism
Doug Parr, Policy Director, Greenpeace UK
Julie Bishop, Director, Law Centres Network
Reem Abu-Hayyeh, Interim Co-Director, Medact
Matt Shardlow, CEO, Buglife
Helen Moulinos, Chief Executive, POhWER
Rohan Kon, Chair of Board of Directors, ACORN
Rita Chadha, CEO, Small Charities Coalition
Kit Stoner, Chief Executive, Bat Conservation Trust
Andrea Coomber, Director, JUSTICE
Sue James, CEO, Legal Action Group
Stephen Evans, Chief Executive, National Secular Society
Paul Cook, Head of Advocacy, Tearfund
Abi Bunker, Director of Conservation & External Affairs, Woodland Trust
Dr. Ksenia Bakina, Legal Officer, Privacy International
Ellie Mae O’Hagan, Director, CLASS
Roy Rickhuss, General Secretary, Community
Tabitha Morton, CEO, More United
Maurice Mcleod, CEO, Race on the Agenda
Isaac Blake, Director, The Romani Cultural and Arts Company
Alexander Carnwath, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Traidcraft Exchange
Roger Wilson, Director, Unite to Reform
Steve Crawshaw, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Freedom from Torture
Sufina Ahmad MBE, Director, John Ellerman Foundation
Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, CEO, Christian Aid
Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director, Release
Joan Edwards, Director Policy and Public Affairs, The Wildlife Trusts
Emma Slawinski, Director, Advocacy and Policy, RSPCA
Jay Kennedy, Director of Policy and Research, Directory of Social Change
Natalie Samarasinghe, CEO, United Nations Association – UK
Dr Fatima Rajina, Co-founder and Member, Nijjor Manush
Neal Lawson, Executive Director, Compass
Diarmaid McDonald, Lead Organiser, Just Treatment
Tessa Khan, Director, Uplift
Dr. Tom Mills, Chair, Media Reform Coalition
Andrew Simms, Co-director, New Weather Institute
Sabby Dhalu, Co-Convenor, Stand up to Racism
Nicolas Hatton, CEO, the3million
Weyman Bennett, Joint Secretary, Unite Against Fascism
Pete Radcliff, Convenor, Labour Movement Solidarity with Hong Kong (UK)
Maari Nastari, Interim CEO, The Outside Project
Ruth Smeeth, CEO, Index on Censorship
Jinsella Kennaway, Executive Director, Demilitarise Education
Ruth London, Co-director, Fuel Poverty Action
Sue James, Chair, Havant Climate Alliance
Martin Thomas, Editor, Solidarity (Alliance for Workers’ Liberty)
Daniel Randall, Co-organiser, Free Our Unions
Graham Gardiner, CEO, Age UK Lambeth
Revd Dr Darrell Hannah, Chair, Operation Noah
Helen Belcher, Chair, TransActual CIC
Sam Bjorn, Member, Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants
Julie Ward, Committee Member & Public Spokesperson, No to Hassockfield Campaign
Ruth London, Co-director, Fuel Poverty Action
Guy Shrubsole, Co-founder, Right to Roam campaign
John Drysdale, Chair of Trustees, Gypsies and Travellers Wales
Hannan Majid, Director, Rainbow Collective
Nick Lowles, CEO, HOPE Not Hate
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, UK Women’s Budget Group
Chris Saltmarsh, Chair, Steering Group, Labour for a Green New Deal
Claire Bass, Executive Director, Humane Society International UK
Michael Chessum, National organiser, Another Europe Is Possible
Lesley Storey, CEO, My Sisters Place
Deborah Tomkins, Co-Chair, Green Christian
Gus Alston, CEO, Stonegrove Community Trust
Fiona Dwyer, CEO, Solace
Abby Traynor, Chief Executive, Acorns (North Tyneside)
Fiona Gwinnett, CEO, Wight DASH
Sara Kirkpatrick, CEO, Welsh Women’s Aid
Becky Rogerson, Wearside Women in Need, Wearside Women in Need
Kenneth Simpson, Chief Executive, VSA
Dr Mary-Ann, Stephenson, Director, Women’s Budget Group UK
Nicola Round, Director, Adfree Cities
Janet Thorne, Reach Volunteering, Reach Volunteering
Kyle Lischak, Head of UK, ClientEarth
Siân Summers-Rees, Chief Officer, City of Sanctuary UK
Henna Cheema, Co-Director, Biofuelwatch
Jo Hobbs MBE, CEO, British Youth Council
Matt Shepheard, Director, Likewise Community
Jan Hutchinson, Director of Programmes, Centre for Mental Health
Horace Trubridge, General Secretary, Musicians’ Union (MU)
Hugo Tagholm, CEO, Surfers Against Sewage
Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK
Iona Soper, Associate, Secure Scotland
Cecile Campagne, Director, Sol Cafe C.I.C
Erin Aniker and Jess Nash, Founders, WeAreHere UK
Carina Millstone, Executive Director, Feedback Global
Tom Baker, Director of Campaigns and Organising, Save the Children UK
Barbora Bukovska, Senior Director for Law and Policy, ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression
Hasan Dodwell, Director, Justice for Colombia
Amy Rushent, Artistic Director, Burning Pages Theatre Company
Ruth Cashman and Simon Hannah, Co-Secretaries, Lambeth Unison
John Cooper, Director, The Fellowship of Reconciliation
Katy Ashton, Director, People’s History Museum
Andrew Scattergood, Co-Chair, Momentum
Martin Pennington, Chair, Red Leicester Choir
Ben Jamal, Director, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Henry Lopez, General Secretary, Independent Workers Union of Great Britain
Hau-Yu Tam, Head of Campaigns, End the Virus of Racism
Andrea Gilbert, BAME Regional officer, IWW
Robert Freudenthal, Chair, Kehillah North London
Maurice Mcleod, CEO, Race on the Agenda
Lynne Chamberlain, Secretary, Greenwich and Bexley TUC
Yvonne Field, Founder/CEO, The Ubele Initiative
Janet Fenton, Organiser, Secure Scotland
Tony O’Sullivan, Co-chair, Keep Our NHS Public
Kathy Evans, CEO, Children England
Lynn Jamieson, Chair, Scottish CND
Caroline Mackechnie-Jarvis, CEO, Women’s Aid in Luton
Nina Kaye, Admin, Epsom Refugee Network
Will Stephens, Communications Coordinator, United Voices of the World (UVW-SAW)
Umme Imam, Executive Director, The Angelou Centre
Jo Maugham, Director, Good Law Project
Revd. Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Annie Emery, CEO, Manchester Action on Street Health
Andrew James Brown, Minister, Cambridge Unitarian Church
Ank Rigelsford, Church of England, Church of England
Matt Smith, Senior worker, TravellerSpace
Chris Jarvis, Head of strategy and Development, Left Foot Forward
Representatives, Psychologists for Social Change
Oli Rodker, Director, Landworkers Alliance
Timothy Pulford, Team Manager, CAMHS, NELFT
Kafiluddin Chowdhury, Volunteer, Eyst Swansea
Maria Lorena, Dolan Chandler, Senior Family & Systemic Psychotherapist CAMHS
Jake Lake, Policy, Public Health and Prevention Lead, MAC-UK
John White, CEO, Global Care & Global Care Volunteers
Sinéad Nolan, Communications Manager, Irish Council for Civil Liberties
Anita Konrad, CEO, Campaign for National Parks
Frances Longley, CEO, ActionAid UK
Sally Zlotowitz, CEO, Art Against Knives
David Cutler, Director, Baring Foundation