A new campaign group was launched in late November to address the problems around the new anti-social behaviour Bill currently progressing through Parliament, and the introduction of the ‘IPNA’.
Called ‘Injunctions Preventing Nuisance or Annoyance’, IPNAs are designed to replace two sanctions. Firstly, ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders), orders which for some young recipients had become a badge. Secondly, a less well known but similar order for dealing with anti-social tenants.
Unlikely grouping
It is the combination of these two under the IPNA banner and the weak drafting of the legislation that has brought together groups like The Peter Tatchel Foundation, The National Secular Society and The Christian Institute. They are campaigning together against the IPNA as concern over it is so widespread.
No criminal record will result from being given an IPNA. However, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Lord MacDonald, says that the lack of safeguards could lead to many ordinary people facing court action as almost anything is capable of causing a nuisance. Even a police association have called for the test to apply an IPNA to be narrowed.
With the ‘Insult me’ clause most likely to be removed from law in February, this new, and perhaps larger threat in the form of an IPNA has had very little publicity. However, the group: ‘Reform Clause 1: Feel Free To Annoy Me’, a joint initiative of The Christian Institute with support from those other groups listed and other civil liberty groups, aims to highlight the huge gaps in its construction which could result in ‘open season’ to those hostile to evangelism.
