14:30 Mr. Andrew Dismore (Hendon) (Lab)

The purpose of the debate is to consider the two reports from the Joint Committee on Human Rights on policing and protest. Peaceful protest is one of the cornerstones of a democratic society and we are rightly proud that the UK has a fine tradition of upholding the right to protest. However, protest has been the cause of major controversy in recent years. The law on protest around Parliament has been wholly criticised, as have the use of the containment tactic known as kettling by the police and the tactics used against climate change protesters at the Drax and Kingsnorth power stations.

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15:09 David Howarth (Cambridge) (LD)

The most disturbing aspect of all incidents such as the climate change camp and other demonstrations, and the confrontation between the police and demonstrators, has been the excessive use of counter-terrorism powers against those demonstrators. I do not deny that there has been progress, but I was disturbed to hear what the hon. Member for Hendon said about the Government’s response to the Gillan case. This is about the abuse of stop-and-search powers. More than that, it is about whether it is legitimate at all to have stop-and-search powers that can be exercised without any reason or underlying evidence, but merely on a hunch. The Court was absolutely clear on that. Its conclusion was that section 44 is not an adequate law because it does not give people sufficient advance knowledge or warning about what the powers of the police are, and when they will be used. It gives the police a vast opportunity to act arbitrarily.

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