Human Rights: 1914 - 1945 - Letter regarding the illegality of picketing during the war

1914 - 1945

Date: 18 February 1916. Catalogue reference: HO 45/10804/308532

Questions put to the Law Officers:-

Whether they agree with the Opinion of the Lord Advocate.
Whether in the event of a strike at Woolwich the police would be justified in requiring pickets to move away, and, if they refuse, in arresting them under Regulation 55.

We agree with the Lord Advocate's Opinion.
Yes. We consider that persons, while acting as pickets for the purpose of persuading munition workers not to work, may properly be arrested as persons whose behaviour is of such a nature as to give reasonable grounds for suspecting that they are acting, or about to act, in a manner prejudicial to the public safety and defence of the Realm; or as persons suspected of having committed an offence against the Regulations.

F.S.
G.C.
A.R.B.
G.A.H.B.