Public Order Act 1936

9Interpretation, and &c

(1)In this Act the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say :—

  • " Chief officer of police " has the same meaning as in the [11 & 12 Geo. 5 c. 31.] Police Pensions Act, 1921;

  • " Meeting " means a meeting held for the purpose of the discussion of matters of public interest or for the purpose of the expression of views on such matters;

  • " Private premises " means premises to which the public have access. (whether on payment or otherwise) only by permission of the owner, occupier, or lessee of the premises;

  • " Public meeting " includes any meeting in a public place and any meeting which the public or any section thereof are permitted to attend, whether on payment or otherwise;

  • " Public place " means any highway, public park or garden, any sea beach, and any public bridge, road, lane, footway, square, court, alley or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not; and includes any open space to which, for the time being, the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise;

  • " Public procession " means a procession in a public place;

  • " Recognised corps " means a rifle club, miniature rifle club or cadet corps approved by a Secretary of State under the Firearms Acts, 1920 to 1936, for the purposes of those Acts.

(2)The powers conferred by this Act on the Attorney-General may, in the event of a vacancy in the office or in the event of the Attorney-General being unable to act owing to illness or absence, be exercised by the Solicitor-General.

(3)Any order made under this Act by the council of any borough or urban district or by a chief officer of police may be revoked or varied by a subsequent order made in like manner.

(4)The powers conferred by this Act on any chief officer of police may, in the event of a vacancy in the office or in the event of the chief officer of police being unable to act owing to illness or absence, be exercised by the person duly authorised in accordance with directions given by a Secretary of State to exercise those powers on behalf of the chief officer of police.