Teenage boy challenges ‘anti-yob’ laws

A 15-year-old boy from Richmond, London, is challenging one of the fundamental cornerstones of Prime Minister’s existing ‘anti-yob’ laws – child curfew zones.

Under the legislation, police can remove all under-16s from his surrounding area after 9pm, and the youth who cannot be named is claiming that such action infringes his human rights.

Backed by campaign group Liberty, the boy has taken a case against Richmond Council and the Metropolitan police to the High Court in London.

The case is to be heard today and tomorrow and it is based on the premise that in a democracy, only those suspected of wrongdoing should be subject to sanctions such as curfews and police arrest.

Legal Director of Liberty, James Welch, said: “The Prime Minister has prioritised creating a culture of respect in Britain. He should remember that respect is a two-way street. These powers fail to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty. No one objects to reasonable sanctions for bad behaviour. He should attack that behaviour and not all sanctions.”

The teenager, who is known as ‘W’ for legal reasons, said: “Of course I have no problem with being stopped by the police if I have done something wrong. But they shouldn’t be allowed to treat me like a criminal just because I’m under 16.”

(CD/SP)