PUBLIC ORDER ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1951 - SECT 2 Powers for the preservation of public order in certain circumstances.

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PUBLIC ORDER ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1951 - SECT 2

Powers for the preservation of public order in certain circumstances.

2.(1) If any officer or head constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary,
having regard to the time or place at which and the circumstances in which any
public procession is taking place or is intended to take place and to the
route taken or proposed to be taken by the procession, has reasonable grounds
for apprehending that the procession may occasion a breach of the peace or
serious public disorder, whether immediately or at any time thereafter, he may
give directions imposing upon the persons organising or taking part in the
procession such conditions as appear to him necessary for the preservation of
public order, including (but without prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing words) conditions prescribing the route to be taken by the
procession and conditions prohibiting the procession from entering any place
specified in the directions [and it shall be the duty of such officer or head
constable in exercising his powers under this sub-section to have regard to
the time at which written notice of an intended procession is first given
under section 1 and to the desirability of not interfering with a
public procession customarily held along a particular route.]

[(2) If at any time the Minister of Home Affairs is of opinion in consequence
of information furnished to him by a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
not below the rank of superintendent or for any other reason that

(a)the exercise of the powers conferred by the preceding sub-section will not
be sufficient to prevent serious public disorder being occasioned by the
holding of any public procession in any area; or

(b)the holding in any area or place of any public procession or any
open-air public meeting is likely to cause serious public disorder or to cause
undue demands to be made upon the police or military forces; or

(c)the holding in any area or place of any public procession or any
open-air public meeting is likely to cause undue hardship to persons working
or carrying on business in that area or place;

(i)prohibiting, for such period not exceeding twelve months as may be
specified in the order, the holding in that area or place of all
public processions or open-air public meetings or of such classes of
public procession or open-air public meeting as may be so specified;

(ii)permitting the holding in an area or place of a public procession or
open-air public meeting specified in the order and prohibiting, for such
period not exceeding one month as may be specified in the order, the holding
in that area or place of any other public procession or public meeting or of
any class of public procession or public meeting specified in the order.]

(3) Any person who knowingly fails to comply with any directions given or
conditions imposed under this section, or organises or assists in organising
any public procession or meeting held or intended to be held in contravention
of an order made under this section or incites any person to take part in such
a procession or meeting, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

[(4) Any person who knowingly takes part in any public procession or meeting
held in contravention of an order under this section shall be guilty of an
offence against this Act.]

[(5) In this section

"area" means the whole of Northern Ireland or any part thereof;

"building" means a covered and enclosed structure of an immovable nature;

"business" includes any trade or profession;

"open-air public meeting" means a public meeting held otherwise than inside a
building.

(6) This section shall not apply to a public meeting organised by or on behalf
of, and in furtherance of the lawful industrial objects of, a trade union.][

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Northern Irish Legislation

PUBLIC ORDER ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1951 - SECT 2