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Bill · started in the Commons

Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011

A Bill to make provision about the administration and governance of police forces; about the licensing of, and for the imposition of a late night levy in relation to, the sale and supply of alcohol; for the repeal of sections 132 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 and for the prohibition of certain activities in Parliament Square; to enable provision in local authority byelaws to include powers of seizure and forfeiture; about the control of dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs; to restrict the issue of arrest warrants for certain extra-territorial offences; and for connected purposes.

Now an Act of Parliament

The story so farThe Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 30 November 2010 by Mrs Theresa May (Conservative). It completed its passage through Parliament and became law as the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, receiving Royal Assent on 15 September 2011.

What the bill does

<p>The Bill covers five distinct policy areas: police accountability and governance; alcohol licensing; the regulation of protests around Parliament Square; misuse of drugs; and the issue of arrest warrants in respect of private prosecutions for universal jurisdiction offences.</p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><ul><li>replaces police authorities with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, with the aim of improving police accountability</li><li>amends and supplements the Licensing Act 2003 with the intention of &lsquo;rebalancing&rsquo; it in favour of local authorities, the police and local communities</li><li>sets out a new framework for regulating protests around Parliament Square. Relevant sections of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 would be repealed and the police would be given new powers to prevent encampments and the use of amplified noise equipment</li><li>enables the Home Secretary to temporarily ban drugs for up to a year, and removes the statutory requirement for the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to include members with experience in specified activities</li><li>introduces a new requirement for private prosecutors to obtain the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions prior to the issue of an arrest warrant for &lsquo;universal jurisdiction&rsquo; offences such as war crimes or torture. The Government's aim in introducing this change is to prevent the courts being used for political purposes.</li></ul>

Progress through Parliament

  1. 1st reading Commons 30 Nov 2010
  2. 2nd reading Commons 13 Dec 2010
  3. Programme motion Commons 13 Dec 2010
  4. Money resolution Commons 13 Dec 2010
  5. Committee stage Commons 18 Jan to 17 Feb 2011
  6. Programme motion Commons 30 Mar 2011
  7. Report stage Commons 30 Mar to 31 Mar 2011
  8. 3rd reading Commons 31 Mar 2011
  9. 1st reading Lords 1 Apr 2011
  10. 2nd reading Lords 27 Apr 2011
  11. Committee stage Lords 11 May to 16 Jun 2011
  12. Report stage Lords 29 Jun to 14 Jul 2011
  13. 3rd reading Lords 20 Jul 2011
  14. Programme motion Commons 12 Sep 2011
  15. Consideration of Lords amendments Commons 12 Sep 2011
  16. Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons Lords 14 Sep 2011
  17. Royal Assent Unassigned 15 Sep 2011

Source: the official bill page. Last updated 10 Nov 2011.