This Act covers a wide range of public order offences and gives the Gardaí many powers to deal with offences and crowd control at public events and demonstrations.
‘Public place’ includes all places to which a member of the public has access.
Situations that the Act covers include being on the streets after a night out, going to a concert or football match, or taking part in a demonstration. Possible offences covered include:
Intoxication in a public place (if you are in a public place and are so intoxicated that a Garda would reasonably suspect that you might endanger yourself or someone else)
Disorderly conduct in a public place (if you behave unreasonably and offensively so that you could cause serious offence or annoyance)
Threatening, abusive or insultingbehaviour in a public place
Handing out or displaying threatening, abusive, insulting or obscene material • Failing to comply with a direction from a Garda (If a Garda suspects that you are loitering or behaving in a way that could be an offence under the Public Order Act, the Garda can ask you to stop or to leave the area. If you do not do as the Garda asks, it could be an offence.)
Riot (If 12 or more people who are together in any place use or threaten to use violence in a way that would cause someone to fear for their or someone else’s safety, each of the people in the group could be charged with riot. There has to be a common reason for the behaviour.)
Violent disorder (If 3 or more people who are together in any place use or threaten to use violence in a way that would cause someone to fear for their or someone else’s safety, each of the people in the group could be charged with violent disorder.)
Affray (If 2 or more people who are together in any place use or threaten to use violence in a way that would cause someone to fear for their or someone else’s safety, each of them could be charged with affray.) • Trespass (It is an offence to trespass on a building or the grounds of a building where someone might think that you are there to commit an offence or to trespass in such a way that causes or is likely to cause fear in another person.)
Trespass (It is an offence to trespass on a building or the grounds of a building where someone might think that you are there to commit an offence or to trespass in such a way that causes or is likely to cause fear in another person.)
Wilful obstruction of vehicles or people (It is an offence to intentionally prevent or obstruct the movement of anyone or any vehicle in a public place.)
Entering and occupying land without consent (It is an offence to enter and stay on land where it is likely to damage the land or services to the land.)
Failure to give your name and address to a Garda Assault or obstruction of someone providing medical services or a peace officer (Peace officers include Gardaí, prison officers, members of the fire brigade, ambulance personnel or members of the defence forces).