Criminal Justice (Raves) Bill

This Bill would strengthen the powers of the police to deal with raves. Currently, police can direct people to leave a rave, stop people on their way to one, and seize vehicles and sound equipment. The current provisions apply to gatherings of 20 or more where amplified music is played at night which ‘by reason of its loudness and duration and the time at which it is played is likely to cause serious distress to the inhabitants of the locality.’ This could be outdoors or, where people are trespassing, indoors.

The Bill would:

• amend the current legislation so that the powers would apply to music likely to cause distress by its loudness or its duration or the time at which it is played, rather than all three factors having to be taken into account
• create new offences of organising a rave and transporting equipment for one
• widen police powers to seize sound equipment and the powers of the court to forfeit it.