
Under the controversial Bill, protesters who wilfully obstruct the highway could be sent to prison for six months―the current maximum penalty is £1,000. Likewise, attaching oneself to another person or to objects or attaching two objects together, creating ‘serious disruption’, could land a protester six months in prison.
Zander notes how ‘apart from their controversial content, the late tabling and inadequate time for debate’ provoked strong criticism.