The Vegan Society remains deeply concerned about the UK Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. This Bill could become law very soon, and may jeopardise work to end the use and abuse of animals, as we warned in Apr 2021.
You can take action by emailing sympathetic Members of the House of Lords or by signing this Liberty Human Rights petition.
Recent very late additions to the Bill include the creation of ‘Serious Disruption Prevention Orders’ (SDPOs). The human rights group, Liberty, describes such measures as ‘draconian’.
If imposed on you, an SDPO could ban you from meeting with certain people, or from publicly organising otherwise legal and peaceful protests. Potentially, an SDPO could ban you from ‘actions which could lead to disruption’ including online activism. If you broke an SDPO, you could be imprisoned for nearly a year, and/or fined.
Vegan movements exist to challenge and end what is currently considered ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ in the use and abuse of animals. We peacefully protest, within the existing law, to benefit animals, people and our shared planet.
If this Bill becomes law, activists could be heavily fined, arrested, or imprisoned for what is currently legal peaceful protest.
The Bill also threatens the significant numbers of vegans who live nomadic lifestyles in the UK. They could be fined, or even lose their homes. Their children could then be taken into the UK care system, which still does not respect the legally protected philosophical beliefs of young vegan people.
Sam Calvert, spokesperson for The Vegan Society said: “Peaceful protest is fundamental to human rights and democracy. The Bill as it stands places unacceptable restrictions on peaceful protest.
“We must protect our rights to publicly, collectively object to the policies and practices of governments, organisations and wider society which lead to the use and abuse of animals.”
The ongoing pandemic, climate and animal emergencies are linked. The widespread artificial breeding of animals makes both future pandemics and continuing climate disasters more likely. We must be able to continue to peacefully protest against these harms.
The Bill is currently at the Report Stage in the House of Lords.
What you can do
- You can meet with, telephone, or write to our UK MPs and Peers using the Parliament Website or independent tools such as Write To Them. Find and email sympathetic Peers (Members of the House of Lords).
- Learn more – the Vegan Organic Network have assembled some links including a Petition against the most damaging aspects of this Bill.
Notes to Editors
The Vegan Society spokespeople are available for TV, radio or written press interviews at short notice. Please contact Francine Jordan, Media and PR Officer, at The Vegan Society at media[at]vegansociety[dot]com or 07375 146 457 (out of hours).
