Day: June 14, 2018

The first events to inform, include and inspire have been announced for National Democracy Week.

A series of nationwide events have been announced today as part of the inaugural National
Democracy Week, taking place from 2 – 8 July. The events are aimed at inspiring people of
all ages and backgrounds to participate in democracy and will be organised by charities and community groups across the country.

This festival of democracy is being held in July to coincide with and celebrate the 90th
anniversary of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act – a further historic constitutional milestone
which granted equal voting rights to men and women.

Proceedings will kick off on the 2 July in Manchester, with the first ever National Democracy
Awards at the People’s Museum. The Awards will recognise the exceptional service of those
who work tirelessly to increase democratic engagement in the UK.

Minister for the Constitution, Chloe Smith MP said:

This is a UK-wide festival to celebrate 90 years of equal democratic rights for women and
men. I’d encourage everyone to join in National Democracy Week and participate in an
activity in their local area. Putting on an event in your local scout hut, school hall or
community centre is a great way to celebrate and get your local community involved.

Our democracy should be inclusive of everyone in society. We hope the fantastic events
being held around the country will inform, include and inspire people of all backgrounds to
participate in our democracy.”

During the week, organisations around the country will hold a wide variety of events,
including:

• Shout Out UK will host a ‘Women In Politics Hackathon’ inviting up to 100 young
  women, including influential figures across parties, to come together and tackle the
  issue of representation in politics.
• UpRising, the British Red Cross and the Refugee Council are hosting ‘Our Voice’, a
  youth-led event focused on refugee and asylum seeker issues in Birmingham and
  Bedford.
• Faith Forums for London will deliver a five day Civic and Democracy Leadership
  Programme equipping young leaders to participate and engage with our Democracy.
• The Patchwork Foundation is hosting an event to promote positive integration of
  under-represented, deprived and minority communities into British democracy and
  civil society.

Over 25 events have been confirmed in eight cities throughout the UK and more are being
added all the time. Sign up for an event, advertise yours or download our partner pack here.

Further information

The Prime Minister answered a question at Prime Minister’s Question Time on 6
June about National Democracy Week. Read the full transcript here.

• National Democracy Week events will take place on a national and local level to
  encourage members of the public to get involved with our democracy, in particular
  those from under-registered groups, including young people, BAME groups, British
  ex-pats, and people with disabilities. Events can be found here.
• The week will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People
  Act 1918 when the first British women over 30 (who met a property qualification) won
  the right to vote and the 90th anniversary of the Equal Franchise Act 1928 which
  granted equal voting rights to men and women.
• The week is being delivered in collaboration with the National Democracy Week
  Council members, the Cabinet Office and partners across the country.
• Follow us on social media at #talkdemocracy.
• You can find out more about National Democracy Week on the website here.
• For further information on National Democracy Week, contact the Cabinet Office
  Press Office on 0207 276 0436.
• It takes about 5 minutes to register to vote online. To find out more visit this page.

• Government moves to make ‘upskirting’ a specific criminal offence
• Worst perpetrators set to face two years in prison
• Ministers demand the most serious offenders are placed on the sex offenders register

‘Upskirting’ is set to become a specific criminal offence, with perpetrators facing up to two years behind bars, under a new law backed by Government.

The highly intrusive practice – colloquially known as ‘upskirting’ – typically involves offenders taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks.

Currently, this behaviour is being successfully prosecuted under the offence of Outraging Public Decency. However, ministers have decided to act after concerns were raised that potentially not all instances of ‘upskirting’ are covered by existing criminal law.

In April, the Justice Secretary David Gauke committed to ensuring the law was fit for purpose. Today, ministers have confirmed that the Government will support legislation to close any potential loopholes, in order to better protect victims and increase convictions.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said:

This behaviour is a hideous invasion of privacy which leaves victims feeling degraded and distressed.

By making ‘upskirting’ a specific offence, we are sending a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated, and that perpetrators will be properly punished.

I’d like to thank Wera Hobhouse, Gina Martin, and all other campaigners for their tireless work, and look forward to seeing the Bill progress through Parliament.

The measures were introduced in a Private Member’s Bill (PMB) by Wera Hobhouse MP. The Bill will receive its 2nd reading in the House of Commons today (15th June).

In recent years the Government has made tackling sexual abuse and sexual violence a priority, and keeps laws in this area under constant review. After listening carefully to the concerns of victims, stakeholders, and MPs from across the House, Ministers have decided a change in the law is necessary.

Wera Hobhouse MP said:

I got involved in politics to change things that my constituents and I care about. I am incredibly grateful to Gina Martin for starting this campaign, and for giving me the opportunity – in my first year in parliament – to do exactly that.

The fact that the government have listened to our calls is testament to the widespread consensus that there was a gap in the law that needed to be addressed. By working with Gina and Ministers on the detail of my bill, we have demonstrated when we work together successfully we can make a difference on issues that really matter to people.

We all made the case for common sense. Now if someone is to fall victim to upskirting, the law will recognise them as the victim, and the police will be able to act immediately and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Gina Martin said:

Almost a year ago, I started my campaign to make upskirting a sexual offence after I was targeted. I’ve been on an extraordinary journey since then. The inner workings of politics was a mystery to me, so I brought in my lawyer Ryan Whelan to help me create an argument that was legally sound and politically astute.

And now, the result of all that hard work is that women and girls who needed this law changed are now being heard by those in power. This has been a colossal undertaking for me personally and professionally, and I absolutely couldn’t have done it without Ryan and the incredible public behind me.

The new law would bring the punishment for ‘upskirting’ in line with other existing voyeurism offences, and the changes will see offenders face a maximum of two years in prison. The Government will now work with Wera Hobhouse and others to bring these measures through, with Ministers planning to ensure crucial amendments are made to the Bill. The most notable of these amendments includes placing the most serious offenders on the sex offenders register.

Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:

We welcome the government taking decisive action to make upskirting a criminal offence. This form of abuse is painful and humiliating for victims and often has a devastating impact on all aspects of their lives.

We hope that this new criminal offence will be another step forward in challenging the prevailing sexist attitudes and behaviours in our society that underpin violence against women and girls. Domestic abuse does not happen in a cultural vacuum.

By condemning this form of abuse, we can send out the powerful message that upskirting is unacceptable and perpetrators of this crime will be held to account.

Lisa Hallgarten, Head of Policy & Public Affairs for Brook, says:

Brook welcomes the Government’s recognition of the seriousness of upskirting as a move towards tackling the widespread incidence of sexual harassment of women and girls.

However, we know that the law alone is not enough and schools have a critical role in challenging harmful behaviours and practices by dealing with any issues promptly and in line with robust PSHE and safeguarding policies.

In order to keep children and young people safe from harm we must teach them at the earliest opportunity to respect each others’ privacy, to know their rights, and to understand issues around consent, coercion, and unwanted/unsafe touch.

Notes to editors

• Currently, ‘upskirting’ does not go unpunished in England and Wales, and there have been successful prosecutions under the Outraging Public Decency (OPD) offence. Recent examples of successful prosecutions for ‘upskirting’ under OPD include someone who was convicted in January for taking photos up women’s skirts on trains, on a beach and at work, and a student who was convicted in March for taking photos up women’s skirts in Oxford.
• However, existing criminal law does not necessarily cover every instance of ‘upskirting.’ Creating a specific ‘upskirting’ offence would strengthen the law in this area, as it doesn’t have the same limitations as existing offences. It would also allow this intrusive behaviour to be treated as a sexual offence and, with Government amendments, ensure that the most serious offenders are made subject to notification requirements (commonly referred to as the ‘sex offenders register’).
• The PMB would insert a new offence under Section 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The changes will cover England and Wales; ‘upskirting’ is already a specific offence in Scotland.
• It would capture instances where the purpose is to obtain sexual gratification or cause humiliation, distress or alarm.
• A summary conviction would carry a sentence of up to one year in prison and/or a fine. And a more serious offence, tried in the Crown Court, would carry a sentence of up to two years in prison.
• The Bill returns to Parliament for its 2nd reading on 15 June where the Government will formally give its support.

Courageous service animals such as police dogs and horses will be offered greater protection under a new law being backed by Government.

The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill has been published in Parliament by Sir Oliver Heald MP and is scheduled for its second reading today (Friday 15 June).

It relates to the prominent Finn’s Law campaign, named after the police dog which was stabbed whilst pursuing a suspect with his handler PC David Wardell.

The proposed legislation will remove a section of the current law of self-defence, often used by those who harm a service animal.

This change, coupled with the government’s plans to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty offences to five years in prison, will make sure those who harm service animals are punished accordingly.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

This Bill will offer stronger protection for the many brave service animals that help to protect us. I pay tribute to PC David Wardell, Sir Oliver and all those who have campaigned for Finn’s Law.

This Government is continuing to raise the bar on animal welfare, whether it be for our beloved pets, brave service animals or on farms.

PC Dave Wardell, Finn’s Police Dog handler, said:

My boy Finn, now retired, was one of several thousand service animals that work to protect the whole of society 24 hours a day, everyday. When Finn was seriously injured it didn’t seem right to me or the public that he was seen as an inanimate object/property, in law.

This campaign and Bill is my way of saying thank you to Finn for saving my life and to the many others for the truly outstanding and brave work they do everyday.

With the amazing support of my MP, Sir Oliver Heald QC, a great working relationship with DEFRA was formed. Sir Oliver, along with Sarah Dixon and Nicola Skelley, have worked so incredibly hard to get us to the point we are at today. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and DEFRA from my heart and from the thousands of supporters that our service animals have.

What you have done today will help protect our amazing service animals, animals we should be very proud of. It’s time for Finn’s Law

The Bill proposes amending the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to address concerns on an existing section where a defendant accused of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal can claim they were protecting themselves and justified in using physical force against a service animal.

Sir Oliver Heald MP, who presented the Bill, said:

I am delighted that the campaign for Finn’s Law has gained the support of the Government.

I’ve had productive meetings with Defra ministers on this Bill and am looking forward to its passage through Parliament. This is a good day for all of our brave service animals.

Nicola Skelley and Sarah Dixon, of the Finn’s Law Campaign, said:

We are absolutely delighted to receive and welcome the backing from DEFRA to Sir Oliver Heald’s amended Bill.

Throughout the Finn’s Law campaign we have been grateful to Lord Gardiner, in particular, for the respectful discussions he has held with Sir Oliver.

For too long have the Courts struggled with securing prosecutions for injuries intentionally inflicted on Police and Prison dogs and horses in particular.

We are looking forward to the 2nd reading of Sir Oliver’s Bill and we feel optimistic for a positive outcome. We will continue to work tirelessly towards securing protection for these animals.

A man who attacked and raped a woman has today had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his sentence for being too low.

Samuel Simms, 45, attacked his victim before forcing her to the floor and raping her. Afterwards, in a conversation partially recorded by the victim, Simms threatened to kill both himself and the victim while gesticulating with a knife.

Simms was originally sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in April, where he was given a sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 8 years.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

Simms subjected his victim to a callous attack which resulted in serious emotional trauma. The results of his actions will be long-lasting, and I hope that the increased sentence handed down today will more accurately reflect this.