Overview

• The Court of Appeal upheld a High Court ruling that the Home Office acted unlawfully in lowering the threshold for police intervention in protests.
• The regulations, introduced in 2023 under then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman, redefined 'serious disruption' as 'more than minor,' a move deemed outside ministerial powers.
• Liberty, the civil rights group that challenged the law, hailed the decision as a victory for democracy and a precedent for respecting legal boundaries.
• The government must now repeal the regulations but retains other protest-management powers and is exploring new legislative measures.
• Hundreds of protesters, including prominent activists like Greta Thunberg, were arrested under the now-quashed rules, raising concerns about wrongful arrests and the chilling of dissent.