LIBERTY’S WRITTEN EVIDENCE TO THE PUBLIC BILL COMMITTEE FOR THE POLICE, CRIME, SENTENCING AND COURTS BILL MAY 2021 ABOUT LIBERTY Liberty is an independent membership organisation. We challenge injustice, defend freedom and campaign to make sure everyone in the UK is treated fairly. We are campaigners, lawyers and policy experts who work together to protect rights and hold the powerful to account. Liberty provides policy responses to Government consultations on all issues which have implications for human rights and civil liberties. We also submit evidence to Select Committees, inquiries and other policy fora, and undertake independent, funded research. Liberty’s policy papers are available at libertyhumanrights.org.uk/policy. CONTACT SAM GRANT Head of Policy and Campaigns
[email protected] ROSALIND COMYN Policy and Campaigns Manager
[email protected] EMMANUELLE ANDREWS Policy and Campaigns Officer
[email protected] CHARLIE WHELTON Policy and Campaigns Assistant
[email protected] CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 PART 2: FUNCTIONS RELATING TO SERIOUS VIOLENCE 1 The problems with a police-led approach 2 Enabling mass data collection, retention and sharing 3 Identifying ‘risky’ individuals 6 Scaling up predictive policing 8 PART 3: A RADICAL RESTRICTION OF PROTEST RIGHTS 10 Imposing conditions on public processions 11 Imposing conditions on public assemblies 13 Breach of police-imposed conditions 14 Limiting protests around Parliament 15 Power to specify other areas as controlled