September 4, 2012 – squatterslegalnetwork
Section 144 of the LASPO bill came into effect on September the 1st, making squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence. The Advisory Service for Squatters has produced new legal warnings for squatters, including one for non-residential buildings and a specific one for pubs. Check their website for more info www.squatter.org.uk .
*Be aware that the Section 6 legal warning is now incriminating if you are in a building that is or could be argued to be residential, so it’s best to take them down.*
The Squatters Legal Network will work to track the new law – how it is enforced by the Police and how it is dealt with in the Courts. and will aim to provide legal support to those arrested and charged under the new law. If you or anyone you know has any contact with the Police concerning the new law (LASPO S144) please get in contact with the Squatters Legal Network with as much information as possible. If arrested, as always, we suggest you say NO COMMENT to all questions and during interview.
Below is a list of questions to provide us with the information that we need – email us at sln@aktivix.org with your info and contacts.
– Address of property involved?
– How long have the occupiers been there? Any kind of licence or authorisation?
– Who has acted against them? Someone claiming to be an owner? Someone else
– Police involvement? Names and badge numbers of any officers? Which police station?
– Who does own it? Or have rights to possession
– Is it wholly residential?
– When did the incident happen? Date and time?
– Any other people involved
– Was anyone arrested? Do we know who/ what for?
– Exact time/ arresting officer?
– Contact details for any witnesses to the arrest?
– Has anyone been charged? If so, with what?
– Have they been granted bail or kept in?
– Have any solicitors been contacted/ taken on the case? Contact details for them?
– How do we (eg ASS/SLN) contact the occupiers themselves?
– Alternative contact details in case they lose their phone?
– Any other helpful witnesses who we may want to contact later?
– Any other issues/ support needed? (eg reclaiming possessions, filing complaints etc)