Move to extend police protest powers ruled unlawful

An attempt by the government to widen police powers over protests has been ruled unlawful by the High Court.

The measure, introduced last year, aimed to give officers in England and Wales more leeway to stop disruption.

But two judges have now ruled that the Home Office acted outside of its powers, and did not properly consult on the move.

The department has been granted permission to appeal against the ruling.

The regulations, passed by MPs in June last year, lowered the threshold for what kind of protest activity is considered "serious disruption".

It was controversial at the time because the changes had already been rejected in the House of Lords six months before that.

Campaign group Liberty, which brought the case, called the ruling a "victory for democracy".