OpenLegislation

Public Order Act 1986

1986 c. 64 · Enacted 7 November 1986 · Extends to United Kingdom

Not fully up to date. 8 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 29 June 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 12(8)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(2)(a)
s. 12(10)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(2)(b)
s. 13(11)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(3)(a)
s. 13(13)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(3)(b)
s. 14(8)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(4)(a)
s. 14(10)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(4)(b)
s. 14B(5)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(5)(a)
s. 14B(7)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 37(5)(b)
An Act to abolish the common law offences of riot, rout, unlawful assembly and affray and certain statutory offences relating to public order; to create new offences relating to public order; to control public processions and assemblies; to control the stirring up of racial hatred; to provide for the exclusion of certain offenders from sporting events; to create a new offence relating to the contamination of or interference with goods; to confer power to direct certain trespassers to leave land; to amend section 7 of the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875, section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Part V of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985; to repeal certain obsolete or unnecessary enactments; and for connected purposes.[7th November 1986]

I1Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Annotations to the whole text

Commencement

I1

Act wholly in force at 1.4.1987 by s. 41(1) and S.I. 1987/198

Contents

  1. Part I: New Offences
  2. 1Riot.
  3. 2Violent disorder.
  4. 3Affray.
  5. 4Fear or provocation of violence.
  6. 4AIntentional harassment, alarm or distress.
  7. 4BIntentional harassment, alarm or distress on account of sex
  8. 5Harassment, alarm or distress.
  9. 6Mental element: miscellaneous.
  10. 7Procedure: miscellaneous.
  11. 8Interpretation.
  12. 9Offences abolished.
  13. 10Construction of other instruments.
  14. Part II: Processions and Assemblies
  15. 11Advance notice of public processions.
  16. 12Imposing conditions on public processions.
  17. 13Prohibiting public processions.
  18. 14Imposing conditions on public assemblies.
  19. 14ZAImposing conditions on one-person protests
  20. 14AProhibiting trespassory assemblies.
  21. 14BOffences in connection with trespassory assemblies and arrest therefor.
  22. 14CStopping persons from proceeding to trespassory assemblies.
  23. 15Delegation.
  24. 16Interpretation.
  25. Part III: Racial Hatred
  26. Meaning of “racial hatred”
  27. 17Meaning of “racial hatred”.
  28. Acts intended or likely to stir up racial hatred
  29. 18Use of words or behaviour or display of written material.
  30. 19Publishing or distributing written material.
  31. 20Public performance of play.
  32. 21Distributing, showing or playing a recording.
  33. 22Broadcasting or including programme in cable programme service.
  34. Racially inflammatory material
  35. 23Possession of racially inflammatory material.
  36. 24Powers of entry and search.
  37. 25Power to order forfeiture.
  38. Supplementary provisions
  39. 26Savings for reports of parliamentary or judicial proceedings.
  40. 27Procedure and punishment.
  41. 28Offences by corporations.
  42. 29Interpretation.
  43. Part 3A: Hatred against persons on religious grounds or grounds of sexual orientation
  44. Meaning of “religious hatred” and “hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation”
  45. 29AMeaning of “religious hatred”
  46. 29ABMeaning of “hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation”
  47. Acts intended to stir up religious hatred or hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation
  48. 29BUse of words or behaviour or display of written material
  49. 29CPublishing or distributing written material
  50. 29DPublic performance of play
  51. 29EDistributing, showing or playing a recording
  52. 29FBroadcasting or including programme in programme service
  53. Inflammatory material
  54. 29GPossession of inflammatory material
  55. 29HPowers of entry and search
  56. 29IPower to order forfeiture
  57. 29JProtection of freedom of expression
  58. 29JAProtection of freedom of expression (sexual orientation)
  59. Supplementary provisions
  60. 29KSavings for reports of parliamentary or judicial proceedings
  61. 29LProcedure and punishment
  62. 29MOffences by corporations
  63. 29NInterpretation
  64. Part IV
  65. 30–37. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  66. Part V: Miscellaneous and General
  67. 38Contamination of or interference with goods with intention of causing public alarm or anxiety, etc.
  68. 39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  69. 40Amendments, repeals and savings.
  70. 41Commencement.
  71. 42Extent
  72. 43Short title.
  73. Schedule 1: Sporting Events
  74. Part I: England and Wales
  75. Introduction
  76. 1Paragraph 1
  77. Vehicles
  78. 2Paragraph 2
  79. Fireworks etc.
  80. 3Paragraph 3
  81. Licensing etc.
  82. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  83. Supplementary
  84. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  85. 6Paragraph 6
  86. 7Paragraph 7
  87. Minor amendment
  88. 8Paragraph 8 Repealed
  89. Part II: Scotland
  90. Introduction
  91. 9Paragraph 9
  92. Vehicles
  93. 10Paragraph 10
  94. 11Paragraph 11
  95. 12Paragraph 12
  96. 13Paragraph 13
  97. Fireworks etc.
  98. 14Paragraph 14
  99. Schedule 2: Other Amendments
  100. Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875 (c.86)
  101. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  102. Prevention of Crime Act 1953 (c.14)
  103. 2Paragraph 2
  104. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (c.45)
  105. 3Paragraph 3
  106. Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c.48)
  107. 4Paragraph 4
  108. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  109. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  110. Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (c.60)
  111. 7Paragraph 7
  112. Schedule 3: Repeals