http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64/section/16Public Order Act 1986An Act to abolish the common law offences of riot, rout, unlawful assembly and affray and certain statutory offences relating to public order; to create new offences relating to public order; to control public processions and assemblies; to control the stirring up of racial hatred; to provide for the exclusion of certain offenders from sporting events; to create a new offence relating to the contamination of or interference with goods; to confer power to direct certain trespassers to leave land; to amend section 7 of the Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875, section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Part V of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985; to repeal certain obsolete or unnecessary enactments; and for connected purposes.1986-11-07texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-04-02Expert Participation2026-04-01 Part II16In this Part—“the City of London” means the City as defined for the purposes of the Acts relating to the City of London police;“the metropolitan police district” means that district as defined in section 76 of the London Government Act 1963;“public assembly” means an assembly of 20 2 or more persons in a public place which is wholly or partly open to the air;“public place” means—any highway, or in Scotland any road within the meaning of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, andany place to which at the material time the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission;“public procession” means a procession in a public place.1963 c. 33. S. 16: in definition of "public assembly", reference to "20" substituted (E.W.) (20.1.2004) for reference to "2" by Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (c. 38), ss. 57, 93(1); S.I. 2003/3300, art. 2(e)(i)1984 c. 54.