“Greater Manchester will never stand aside when one of our communities is attacked,” Mayor Andy Burnham said after the 2 October synagogue attack. Today the Home Office named Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC to lead an independent review of public order and hate crime laws - a national exercise shaped by events in Manchester.

The review will test whether current police powers and hate crime offences - including aggravated offences and those for “stirring up” hatred - still protect people while safeguarding free speech. As Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood put it, “Lawful protest and free speech are fundamental rights, but we cannot allow them to be abused.”

The backdrop is grimly familiar in this city. On Yom Kippur, 2 October, two worshippers were killed and others injured outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall before armed officers shot the attacker, who wore a hoax device. Counter‑terror police made further arrests as security was stepped up at synagogues nationwide.

Ministers say the review follows changes in the Crime and Policing Bill that will require officers to weigh the overall impact of repeated or concurrent protests in one area when setting future conditions. Parliament has previously discussed this “cumulative impact” principle, while the Court of Appeal in May ruled the government’s attempt to broaden protest powers to cover “more than minor” disruption was unlawful.

Greater Manchester Police stressed that swift action on 2 October prevented further harm. Days later, Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson welcomed the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s finding that there was “no misconduct apparent” in the actions taken by officers as they stopped the attacker. “Our significant presence and determination to protect everyone… will continue,” he said.

For forces across the North, the review lands amid an edgy year on the streets. Protests around asylum hotels and anti‑immigration rallies in towns from Liverpool to Newcastle have seen arrests and injuries, with police balancing the right to protest against rising risks of disorder.

The law is moving on other fronts too. Martyn’s Law - the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, born of Manchester’s own heartbreak - is now on the statute book, with at least a 24‑month implementation period and the Security Industry Authority confirmed as regulator. Northern venues, from clubs to community centres, should be planning training and drills well before commencement.

Recorded hate crime remains a pressure point for local policing. Home Office figures for the year to March 2025 show a modest overall rise outside the Met, including increases in race and religious hate crime; the bulletin also notes a sharp rise in anti‑Muslim offences and advises caution when comparing Jewish hate crime trends due to Met data changes.

The review’s scope includes offences for “stirring up” hatred - areas where free expression protections exist in law. CPS guidance highlights the intent threshold in religion‑based stirring‑up offences and the statutory free speech defence, both of which will frame any recommendations.

Local leaders insist the response must hold communities together. “Manchester stands with our Jewish community at this darkest of moments,” said Council Leader Bev Craig. Church leaders have echoed calls for solidarity and calm after the attack.

Lord Macdonald, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, will be supported by senior policing adviser Owen Weatherill. Terms of reference will be published in the coming weeks; the review is due to start imminently and conclude by February 2026, with Manchester voices expected to feature strongly.