“Lawful protest and free speech are fundamental rights, but we cannot allow them to be abused to spread hate or cause disorder,” said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as the Home Office named former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC to lead a new review of public order and hate crime law. The announcement, published on GOV.UK on 15 November 2025, follows the 2 October 2025 attack in Manchester.

The Home Office says the review will test whether current legislation is effective and proportionate, looking closely at police powers around protests and offences linked to aggravated behaviour and “stirring up” hatred. It will also examine whether the law shields communities from intimidation while safeguarding free speech and peaceful protest.

Ministers frame the move as a response to rising community tensions and concerns about disruptive or intimidating demonstrations. Officials stress that the right to lawful protest and free speech remains protected, but warn that incitement, intimidation and disorder will not be tolerated.

Lord Macdonald, who previously served as Director of Public Prosecutions, brings legal experience and independence to the exercise. He will be supported by Owen Weatherill, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for civil contingencies and national mobilisation, to feed in operational policing insight.

The terms of reference will be set out in the coming weeks, with work due to begin imminently and conclude by February 2026, according to the Home Office statement on Saturday 15 November.

The review follows recent Home Office changes trailed through the Crime and Policing Bill, which require forces to consider the overall, cumulative impact of protests at a single location when deciding future conditions. A separate government notice on 5 October explained how officers could weigh prior disruption when setting routes, timings or other conditions.

For Greater Manchester and other Northern forces that regularly manage large city‑centre gatherings, The Northern Ledger’s reading is that a formal “cumulative impact” test could influence how repeat events are handled, especially where communities report fear or persistent disruption. The review’s findings will matter for those balancing safety with rights in busy civic spaces from Piccadilly to St Peter’s Square.

Mahmood has previously told MPs that protests held in the days after the Manchester synagogue attack were “a clear source of fear to the Jewish community”, while also reaffirming the importance of the right to protest. That context underscores why officials want laws that are firm on intimidation yet consistent on free speech.