Road Policing, Crime Laws & Public Order in UK Practice Test

The power to impose conditions on a public assembly to prevent serious disorder comes from Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986. This allows a police officer to place reasonable conditions on how a public assembly is conducted—things like where and when it can take place, the route it must follow, numbers allowed, and behaviours that must be avoided. The goal is to permit peaceful assembly while reducing the risk of breach of the peace or serious disorder. If those conditions aren’t complied with, officers can take further action, such as dispersing the assembly or arresting for breaches of the conditions. (Prohibiting an assembly in a public place is a separate power under Section 14, while the other options refer to different provisions or acts.)