Summary Part 4: Public order and conduct in public places etc.
18.Part 4 strengthens the protection afforded by the criminal and civil law against acts of harassment, trespass on sites of national importance and unauthorised demonstrations in the vicinity of Parliament.
19.Sections 125 to 127 amend the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 and Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 to prohibit intimidating conduct designed to stop persons going about their lawful business, introduce a new offence of harassment of a person in his home and confer additional powers on the police to issue directions for the purpose of stopping harassment of a person in his home.
20.Sections 128 to 131 introduce a new offence of trespass on sites designated by the Secretary of State.
21.Sections 132 to 138 confer additional powers on the police to control demonstrations in Parliament Square or its environs.
22.Sections 139 to 143 contain provisions relating to Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). In particular, they lift the automatic reporting restrictions in Youth Courts in relation to proceedings for breach of an ASBO.
23.Section 144 and Schedule 10 provide for magistrates’ courts in England and Wales and Northern Ireland to make parental compensation orders (“PCOs”) on application by a local authority or person specified by the Secretary of State in the case of Northern Ireland. The PCO is available where a child under the age of 10 has taken or caused loss or damage to property in the course of behaving anti-socially or committing an act that would have been criminal if he were 10 or over.