Skip to content

Section 2: Violent disorder

Public Order Act 1986 (1986 c. 64)

(1) Where 3 or more persons who are present together use or threaten unlawful violence and the conduct of them (taken together) is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety, each of the persons using or threatening unlawful violence is guilty of violent disorder.

(2) It is immaterial whether or not the 3 or more use or threaten unlawful violence simultaneously.

(3) No person of reasonable firmness need actually be, or be likely to be, present at the scene.

(4) Violent disorder may be committed in private as well as in public places.

(5) A person guilty of violent disorder is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or a fine or both, or on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both.

Reproduced from legislation.gov.uk as captured on 2026-10-04. Statute is amended over time — check the source below for the version in force. This is a reference, not legal advice.
View s.2 on legislation.gov.uk

Where this section is applied on BlueLineHub

Officer reference cards that cite this provision.

Offence cards

Source: legislation.gov.uk, Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.