UK human rights group Liberty has called on a Westminster City Council in London to rethink a draft byelaw which proposes to criminalise soup runs. The draft local authority rule previously also proposed to ban rough sleeping in the designated area - this section was removed after a hugely negative response at the consultation stage of the byelaw.
The proposed ban will make it an offence for a person to distribute free refreshment, or to knowingly permit any person to do so. According to Westminster City Council, the ban constitutes a "proportionate response" to the negative impact which the distribution of free refreshment to the homeless has on local residents and businesses.
Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, has highly criticised the proposed ban, saying that it clearly targets those "least able to fend for themselves". Liberty argues that at the heart of the UK Human Rights Act 1998 is the "core principle of human dignity" and that to criminalise the actions of those who seek to help the most vulnerable will "inevitably conflict with these human rights values". While recognising that there are genuine concerns being felt by local residents and business owners regarding anti-social behaviour and rubbish, Liberty contends that this byelaw is not a proportionate response. The human rights group urges the Westminster Council to reject the proposal and instead work with local organisations to find a resolution which will not "further side-line those who already find themselves at the margins of our society".
Click here to view the latest letter sent by Liberty to the Westminster Councillors.
Click here to view the Westminster Council's original draft byelaws.