OpenLegislation

Section 166 Powers of senior officers to impose conditions on protestsI1I2

England, Wales and Scotland

(1)

The Public Order Act 1986 is amended as follows.

(2)

In section 12 (imposing conditions on public processions)—

(a)

in subsection (1), for “the”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “a”;

(b)

in subsection (2)—

(i)

in the words before paragraph (a) omit “the”;

(ii)

in paragraph (a) for the words from “, the most” to the end substitute

“—

(i)

the most senior in rank of the police officers present at the scene, or

(ii)

in the case of a procession in England and Wales, a police officer authorised by a chief officer of police for the purposes of this subsection, and”.

(3)

In section 14 (imposing conditions on public assemblies)—

(a)

in subsection (1), for “the”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “a”;

(b)

in subsection (2)—

(i)

in the words before paragraph (a) omit “the”;

(ii)

in paragraph (a) for the words from “, the most” to the end substitute

“—

(i)

the most senior in rank of the police officers present at the scene, or

(ii)

in the case of an assembly in England and Wales, a police officer authorised by a chief officer of police for the purposes of this subsection, and”;

(c)

in subsection (2ZB), for “reference in subsection (2)(b) to a chief officer of police includes”, substitute “references in subsection (2) to a chief officer of police include”.

Annotations

Commencement

I1

S. 166 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 255(1)

I2

S. 166 in force at 29.6.2026 by S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(r)