- Landmark powers will be rolled out nationally from 26 October
- Repeat ASB perpetrators to be banned from the public places they blight
- Part of sweeping crackdown on behaviours impacting town centres and high streets
Respect Orders will launch across England and Wales in October, giving police and councils tougher powers to crack down on repeat perpetrators of antisocial behaviour (ASB).
The landmark new tool addresses a significant gap in existing ASB powers and will enable authorities to take stronger enforcement action to tackle relentless adult offenders – including prison sentences. Officers will, for example, be able to ban them from town centres or stop them drinking in public hotspots like high streets and local parks.
Offenders can also be ordered by the courts to tackle the root causes of their behaviour – from drug or alcohol treatment to anger management courses – instead of simply being allowed to return to the streets and start the cycle again.
Breaching a Respect Order will be a criminal offence, with police able to arrest anyone who ignores the rules. Those who flout the orders could face jail time.
The government will today lay the legal paperwork needed to bring the Orders into force, paving the way for them to launch nationally from Monday 26 October 2026.
The national roll-out means police and councils across England and Wales can go after the worst offenders blighting town centres, high streets and local neighbourhoods.
Courts will also be able to hand out unlimited fines and tough community punishments, such as unpaid work and curfews.
The new power will partially replace existing Civil Injunction powers for adults, allowing the police to immediately arrest anyone who is flouting their Respect Order and bringing a wider range of penalties because breaches will be dealt with in the criminal courts.
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