Will homeless people really be arrested if they smell? Fears over new 'rough sleeping' legislation explained

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The government's Criminal Justice Bill says 'nuisance' rough sleepers could be arrested for 'excessive smells'.

Will homeless people really be arrested if they smell? Fears over new 'rough sleeping' legislation explained

Critics say the Bill is effectively 'criminalising homelessness' and is drafted so widely it could result in people being arrested or fined for having an 'excessive odour' – or even just appearing as though they intend to sleep rough.The Criminal Justice Bill is a piece of legislation that was originally put forward by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

This includes the 'creation of a new offence to tackle organised begging; move on powers for those engaged in nuisance begging and rough sleeping; and the creation of new civil notices and orders to prevent nuisance begging and rough sleeping'.Critics of the government are concerned that the bill is drafted so widely that police could arrest rough sleepers for 'excessive smells'.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said Sunak agreed with Keegan that people shouldn’t be arrested for smelling badly. And on smell, the spokeswoman said:"The police will receive guidance that comes with these powers - we are very clear that the focus is on protecting the public from harassment and intimidation."

 

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