Boy, 15, wins curfew legal battle

[muriel_volestrangler]

Good for him. I think this was a clear decrease in individual liberty. I remember being shocked to find similar laws applied in Austin, Texas back in 1990 (and still do, for all I know). 'Innocent until proved guilty' matters in everyday life, as well as in court.

The teenager said the use of dispersal zones in Richmond, south-west London, breached his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Unaccompanied under-16s found in zones after 9pm can be held and escorted home, whether badly behaved or not.

The police and Richmond Council argued that it reduced anti-social behaviour.

The High Court ruled that the law did not give the police a power of arrest, and officers could not force someone to come with them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4699095.stm