Clause 1 - Repeal of provisions ofFootball (Disorder) Act 2000
Football (Disorder) (Amendment) Bill
5:45 pm
Mr Simon Hughes (North Southwark and Bermondsey, Liberal Democrat)
I absolutely understand that, but we must consider the sense of justice felt by a person served with the banning order who has no criminal conviction for violence and public order offences. The police have a second test of having reasonable grounds for suspecting that a person may misbehave, although that person may never have been convicted. If there is only police suspicion of misbehaviour, a banning order and the forbidding of foreign travel is a pretty severe penalty when there is a ``reasonable grounds only'' test, but not a ``reasonable grounds and past evidence leading to a conviction'' test. The matter is about the perception of the individual as much as the message that is sent outside.