Bulletin readers may recall UK human rights organisation Liberty's campaign to prevent a ban on food for homeless persons. Westminster Council has now abandoned plans to criminalise soup runs, having originally thought that the ban would prevent rough sleeping around Westminster Cathedral.
This U-turn results from campaigns by Liberty, Housing Justice, Church Action on Poverty. Liberty sent letters to councillors, assisted by leading UK barristers' chambers 11KBW, who drafted a legal opinion criticising the proposal as "over broad" and "draconian".
Sabina Frediani of Liberty commented: "Credit to Westminster Council for responding to public concern in such a positive way and dropping such a harsh and ill-judged proposal. The byelaw would have criminalized acts of charity at a time of recession and at best, merely shunted homeless people on to a different part of the capital".
Click here to view Liberty's press release.
Click here to view the Westminster Council's original draft byelaws.