Admin/HR Law Flashcards
Under POA 1986, what are the notice requirements for a public procession?
Anyone organising the procession must give 6 clear days’ notice of the:
a) Date
b) Time
c) Route of the proposed procession
Failure to give notice results in the organisers committing an offence, but does not render the procession unlawful
What are the defences with regards to processions?
- Organiser did not know/had no reason to suspect that the notice requirements had not been complied with
- Departure from details in notice arose from circumstances beyond the organiser’s control/from something done with agreement of police/by their direction
Under what circumstances do the police have the power to impose conditions on processions?
If the march will result in:
- Serious public disorder/damage to property/disruption to life of community
- Serious disruption to activities of something carried out in the vicinity of the procession/impact on persons in the vicinity
- Purpose of organisers is to intimidate others with a view to compelling them not to do something they have a right to do
What rank of police officer is able to impose conditions on a procession?
During procession: most senior police officer present can verbally give conditions
In advance: Chief Constable of relevant police force or Commissioner of Police of Metropolis/City of London
When and how can a procession be prohibited?
Chief police officer can do so if they reasonably believe conditions would be insufficient
Must apply to LA who then makes order with Home Secretary’s consent
Orders cannot exceed 3 months
Can ban a class of processions, but cannot ban a specific procession
Order must be in writing
Define a procession
- To demonstrate support/opposition to views/actions of any person/body of persons
- Publicise a cause/campaign
- Mark/commemorate an event
What is the general rule with regards to meetings? Are there any exceptions?
General rule = no requirement to obtain permission to hold a meeting
Exceptions: Trafalgar Square, Royal Parks, Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997, private land requires the permission of the owner
Define a public assembly
Assembly comprising of 2 or more people in public place wholly or partly open to air
The purpose of the assembly is irrelevant
There is NO power to ban a public assembly in advance
Define a trespassory assembly
Assembly of 20 or more people held at a place/on land to which the public has no right of access/only has limited right of access
When can a chief police officer ban a trespassory assembly?
Must reasonably believe they are intending to hold a trespassory assembly
- Without permission of occupier/outside terms of any permission/right of access; and
- It may result in serious disruption to life of community/significant damage to land/building/monument which is historical/archaeological/scientific importance
When banning a trespassory assembly, what restrictions are placed on such an order?
- Cannot last for more than 4 days
- Must not apply to an area greater than 5 miles’ radius from a specified centre
- LA must obtain Home Secretary’s consent before making the order
Define common law breach of peace and when the police may arrest someone under this offence
Act was threatened/done which harmed a person or their property or put that person in fear of such harm being done
Can only arrest if breach has occurred/breach was imminent
Does not carry criminal sanctions
If breach of the peace is relevant, offence of causing harassment/alarm/distress contrary to POA is also likley to be relevant
What is the general rule and exceptions for the rule against delegation?
General rule = decision-making powers, once given by Parliament, cannot be further delegated/sub-delegated
Exceptions:
- Carltona principle = government ministers can act through civil servants unless it is clear from the wording of the statute that the decision is one for Ministers alone
- s 101 LGA 1972: LAs may delegate decision-making powers to committees/individual officers, provided they make a formal resolution
How can a public body fetter their discretion?
- Acting under the dictation of another
- Applying a general policy as to the exercise of discretion in too strict a manner: can formulate own general policy as long as they do not ‘shut their ears’ to individual cases
Define JR ground of dual purpose?
Provided the permitted/authorised purpose is the ‘primary’ purpose, decision can stand
Has the unauthorised purpose materially influenced the making of the decision?
Under what circumstances can JR be given for an error of fact?
If the error of fact has led to unfairness
4 conditions must be satisfied:
1. Mistake as to an existing fact
2. Fact must be uncontentious and objectively verifiable
3. Person seeking review must not have been responsible for the mistake
4. Mistake must have played material part in decision-maker’s reasoning
Define the JR ground of irrationality
Has the decision-maker come to a conclusion that is so unreasonable, no reasonable authority could ever have come to it?
Is it so outrageous in its defiance of logic that no sensible person could have arrived at it?
Define the rule against bias
Direct = decision-maker had an interest in financial gain (possible to have a direct interest that is not pecuniary)
Indirect = it is a relative of the decision-maker who has an interest
- Cannot quash decision automatically
- Would a fair-minded, informed observer conclude that there had been a real possibility of bias?