Coronavirus & Policing

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act received royal assent on 28th April 2022, so will be enacted over the coming weeks and months:

• 12th May 2022: The new legislation for wilful obstruction of the highway (WOH) comes into force.
• It will no longer be a defence for WOH that the road was already blocked, e.g. by police.
• The maximum penalty is now a sentence of 51 weeks in prison and/or a fine.
• The offence is now recordable, i.e. police can take biometric data on arrest.

We are preparing a guide to the way the bill will affect protest, please watch this page for updates.

Please read our updated covid  guide here, updated 16/7/21  if you you would like to challenge a fine (FPN – fixed penalty notice) received under Coronavirus legislation,  or read about the latest self isolation rules.

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GBC and other collectives offer comprehensive legal support to the activist community.   Find out how we are organised and how you can get involved