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Joshua Nevett, a political reporter, reports that rough sleeping will no longer be considered a criminal offense next year as part of the government’s plan to abolish a law that has been in place for over 200 years. The Vagrancy Act, which currently prohibits rough sleeping in England and Wales, will be scrapped under new legislation proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who has described the act as “cruel and outdated.”
The Vagrancy Act was initially introduced in 1824 to address the issue of rising homelessness, but Rayner, who also serves as the housing secretary, emphasized the need to put an end to the injustice faced by some of the most vulnerable individuals in society. She stated that no one should be criminalized for simply sleeping rough, and by eliminating this archaic law, the government aims to prevent such occurrences from happening in the future.
Prosecutions and convictions under the Vagrancy Act have been on the decline in recent years, with only 79 prosecutions and 59 convictions related to rough sleeping in 2023, as opposed to significantly higher numbers in 2011. The government’s decision to repeal the Vagrancy Act was initially announced in 2022 by the Conservative government, with plans to replace it with new legislation that would address issues like organized begging and trespassing.
Moving forward, the Labour government intends to introduce targeted measures through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, in order to provide police with the necessary powers to maintain community safety. These measures will include new offenses related to facilitating begging for gain and trespassing with criminal intent. Homeless charities have long advocated for the elimination of the Vagrancy Act, with Crisis chief executive Matt Downie praising the government’s decision to scrap the act as a significant milestone that will positively impact the lives of many vulnerable individuals
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