UK High Court Rules Against Expansive Police Powers on Peaceful Protests

London's High Court determined that the UK illegally extended police powers to regulate peaceful protests causing minor disruptions. The civil rights group Liberty successfully contested these changes, arguing that they gave police excessive authority to halt protests. Judges ruled these regulations unlawful.

Britain unlawfully gave police wider powers to impose conditions on peaceful protests which cause "more than minor" disruption to the public, London's High Court ruled on Tuesday.

Civil rights group Liberty took the government to court over changes to public order laws made last year, which it says gave the police almost unlimited powers to shut down protests.

Judges David Bean and Timothy Kerr ruled in the group's favour on Tuesday, finding that the regulations granting the new powers were unlawful.