Teenager wins challenge to curfew legislation
The government has today suffered a setback to its anti-social behaviour agenda after the high court ruled a child curfew zone breached human rights.
A 15-year-old from Richmond in south-west London challenged the curfew, which banned under 16-year-olds from specified zones after 21:00 BST, on the basis that it breached his human rights.
The police and Richmond council argued that these zones helped reduce anti-social behaviour but today Lord Justice Brooke upheld the teenager’s argument.
“All of us have the right to walk the streets without interference from police constables or CSOs [community support officers] unless they possess common law or statutory powers to stop us,” he said.
The boy, known as ‘W’ for legal reasons, said the police “shouldn’t be allowed to treat me like a criminal just because I’m under 16”.
There are over 400 such dispersal zones throughout the country. The Home Office plans to challenge the ruling.
