Government to put forward law banning upskirting
A LAW making upskirting a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison will be introduced by the Government after a previous bid was scuppered by one of its own MPS.
The bill to be put before the Commons today will tackle a gap in the UK law concerning surreptitious photographs taken up women’s skirts without their knowledge or consent, the Ministry of Justice said.
Ministers announced a new law would be introduced after Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope blocked a backbench bill last Friday to ban the practice.
Sir Christopher faced a furious backlash after he effectively killed off the proposed legislation and his parliamentary office was later adorned with four pairs of knickers, bound together with a pink ribbon, in protest.
Theresa May reiterated her support of the Bill yesterday at Prime Minister’s Questions, telling MPS the worst offenders would be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
She said: “Upskirting is a hideous invasion of privacy, it leave victims feeling degraded and distressed.
“We will adopt this as a Government bill, we will introduce this to the Commons, with a second reading before the summer recess.”
She added: “Victims should be in no doubt their complaints will be taken seriously and perpetrators will be punished.”
Without a specific law, victims in England and Wales must seek prosecution of upskirting through other legal avenues, such as outraging public decency or harassment. But this law does not cover all cases.
Legislation in Scotland provides for a maximum two-year jail sentence.
Initially, ministers supported legislation brought forward by Wera Hobhouse MP to create a specific “upskirting” offence. But that Private Member’s Bill failed to progress in Parliament, following objections raised by Sir Christopher.
He later insisted he supported the bill’s purpose of outlawing the practice of taking photographs up someone’s clothing without consent, but claimed he was acting on a long-held principle that has seen him routinely oppose backbench bills.
The Christchurch MP complained he was being “scapegoated” over the issue and urged the Government to find the “fastest, fairest and surest passage” for a bill.