Calls For 195-Year-Old Vagrancy Act To Be Scrapped

A leading homelessness charity, police and politicians are calling on the government to scrap a 195-year-old law that criminalises homeless people for rough sleeping and begging in England and Wales. A report by Crisis, backed by MPs and police representatives, outlines the case for repealing the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which critics warn makes poverty a crime and pushes rough sleepers away from help. The act hit the headlines when the head of Windsor council suggested police use the law to clear “an epidemic of rough sleeping and vagrancy in Windsor” ahead of last year’s royal wedding. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/19/calls-for-195-year-old-vagrancy-act-scrapped-homeless