Tag: protest rights
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Freedom of Peaceful Assembly: Litigation Gaps and Opportunities at the International and Regional Levels
Understanding the Report A new joint publication by the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center and the Centre for Law and Democracy shines a light on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. While this civil liberty is enshrined in many regional and international human rights instruments, the report shows persistent gaps in jurisprudence…
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Right to Protest Under Threat in England and Wales: HRW warns of escalating restrictions
Overview: A growing squeeze on protest rights The right to protest in England and Wales is facing increasing pressure as lawmakers push for stricter controls on public assemblies. Human Rights Watch (HRW) and a cross-party law reform organization have issued stark warnings that existing protections are being eroded and that new measures could curb civil…
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Right to protest in England and Wales under attack, reports warn
Introduction: A Warning from HRW and Reform Advocates The right to protest in England and Wales is facing mounting pressure, according to two influential reports released this year. Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlights a pattern of laws and policing approaches that chill dissent, while a cross-party law reform body points to extensive reforms that could…
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Groups launch court challenge to NSW protest laws after Bondi attack
Background: what the NSW protest restrictions do In the wake of the December Bondi Beach terror incident, New South Wales implemented new policing provisions aimed at limiting street protests in the immediate aftermath of security threats. The laws empower authorities to curb gatherings and impose temporary restrictions on certain protest activities for up to three…
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Unavoidably unfair: The secret courts system in the Palestine Action case
Introduction: The controversy behind the case In a landmark moment for UK law, a high-profile challenge to a ban on the anti-frascist group Palestine Action has thrust the nation’s so‑called secret courts into the spotlight. As hearings began this week at the Royal Courts of Justice, observers warned that the process risks undermining public confidence…
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Palestine Action Ban: Risks of Overreach and Miscarriages under UK Prevent Programme
Overview: A ban with broader implications The UK government’s ban on Palestine Action has sparked a heated debate about national security, civil liberties, and the effectiveness of the Prevent programme. A senior official within the Home Office’s homeland security group has warned that the Prevent approach could be overwhelmed by the new ban, raising concerns…
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Pro-Palestine activists attack Israel-linked firm in Woolwich court case
Overview of the Woolwich court case In a case unfolding at Woolwich Crown Court, six pro-Palestine activists are accused of violently targeting an Israel-linked defence firm. The incident, described during an opening prosecution presentation, involved the group wielding sledgehammers in what authorities characterized as a planned attack. Among those present was a police officer who…
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Ban Palestine Action: Advisers warned proscription could backfire
Background In a candid briefing, government advisers cautioned ministers that banning Palestine Action could inadvertently enhance the group’s profile. The document, prepared three months before the group was proscribed, raises questions about the potential political and public-relations impact of a criminal designation on a fringe activist movement. The Advice and Its Rationale The briefing note,…
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Dutch Supreme Court overturns climate activists’ convictions
What happened The Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) has overturned the convictions of eight climate activists. The actions in question covered three episodes: a 2019 protest inside the Tweede Kamer (Dutch parliament), a 2020 demonstration in the hallway of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, and protest actions at ING buildings in 2022.…
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Dutch Supreme Court Overturns Climate Activists’ Convictions
Case at a glance The Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) has overturned the convictions of eight climate activists who were previously found guilty by an appeals court of local trespass and disrupting a public meeting. The protests in question took place during three separate actions: a 2019 demonstration in the Tweede Kamer (Dutch parliament), a…