Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2010-12
- Type of Bill:
- Government Bill
- Sponsors:
- Mrs Theresa May
Home Office - Baroness Browning
Home Office
Progress of the Bill
Bill started in the House of Commons
- House of Commons
-
- House of Lords
-
-
- Royal Assent
Last event
-
Royal Assent 15 September, 2011
|
15.09.2011
Act of Parliament
| House | Act | Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 c.13 | 15.09.2011 |
Latest news on the Bill
Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill it received Royal Assent on 15 September. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law).
Summary of the Bill
The Bill covers five distinct policy areas: police accountability and governance; alcohol licensing; the regulation of protests around Parliament Square; misuse of drugs; and the issue of arrest warrants in respect of private prosecutions for universal jurisdiction offences.
Key areas
- replaces police authorities with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, with the aim of improving police accountability
- amends and supplements the Licensing Act 2003 with the intention of ‘rebalancing’ it in favour of local authorities, the police and local communities
- sets out a new framework for regulating protests around Parliament Square. Relevant sections of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 would be repealed and the police would be given new powers to prevent encampments and the use of amplified noise equipment
- enables the Home Secretary to temporarily ban drugs for up to a year, and removes the statutory requirement for the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to include members with experience in specified activities
- introduces a new requirement for private prosecutors to obtain the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions prior to the issue of an arrest warrant for ‘universal jurisdiction’ offences such as war crimes or torture. The Government's aim in introducing this change is to prevent the courts being used for political purposes.
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Related information
Guide to the passage of a Bill
Find out what happens at each stage of a Public Bill’s journey through Parliament with the Passage of a Bill guide.
When does a Bill become law?
Explanation of what happens after Bills have been passed, and when laws may change.