The Crime and Policing Bill 2025

Legally reviewed by: James Bainbridge Sep 2026 In: Criminal Defence

The Crime and Policing Bill, which was initially introduced on 25 February 2025, is nearing it’s final approval in parliament. The bill introduces significant changes, impacting many people facing criminal charges. The new bill proposes measures to tackle antisocial behaviour, terrorism, violence against women and girls. Furthermore, it implements the duty to report as recommended by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. Understanding these updates is crucial, whether you’re concerned about personal implications or interested in knowing how criminal justice is evolving.

What is the Crime and Policing Bill Introducing?

The new Crime and Policing Bill aims to deliver on the government’s ‘safer streets’ mission. This includes but is not limited to halving knife crime, and reducing violence against women and girls in a decade, and ‘transform neighbourhood policing’.

The bill includes measures aimed at addressing and preventing:

knife crime
violence against women and girls
anti-social behaviour
retail crime
serious and organised crime
fraud
theft
public order
terrorism
sexual offending and more.

The bill includes commitments from the general election manifesto, measures retained from the previous government’s Criminal Justice Bill 2023-24, and various other legislative updates.

Antisocial Behaviour

The government is committed to tackling antisocial behaviour as part of its safer-street mission. The bill introduces a new ‘respect order’, enabling local authorities and police to impose restrictions on individuals committing antisocial acts, with criminal sanctions applied in cases of breaches.

Further measures will amend existing powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, notably removing the requirement for police to issue a warning before seizing vehicles associated with antisocial behaviour.

Knife Crime

The bill reinforces efforts to address the rise in knife-related incidents. Specific measures aim to strengthen enforcement and improve public safety by halving knife crime in a decade.

Under the new bill, there will be a new offence for possessing a knife or offensive weapon with intent. Additionally, the maximum penalty is increasing for manufacturing, selling, hiring, or lending prohibited weapons. The police will also receive greater powers to seize knives from properties.

All these new reforms on knife crime have been called ‘Ronan’s law’, after Ronan Kanda, who was murdered in 2022 by two 16-year-olds using ninja swords they bought online and collected from a post office.

Shoplifting and Assaults on Shop Workers

New provisions address increases in shoplifting and assaults against shop workers, by introducing stricter penalties and creating a new offence of assaulting a retail worker.

The bill also amends existing legislation so that all thefts from shops, prosecuted under section 1 of the Theft Act 1968, could be tried either in a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court. This is irrespective of the value of the stolen goods. This change is intended to eliminate any perception that individuals involved in lower-value shoplifting can avoid punishment.

Safeguarding Vulnerable People

The government also aim to better protect children and vulnerable people by creating a new offence of child criminal exploitation and ‘cuckooing’. This is often associated with county lines drug dealing.

In addition, the bill will create new offences for spiking as well as encouraging or assisting serious self-harm.

Sexual Offences

This part of the bill introduced new measures to tackle child sexual abuse and other sexual offending.

The new bills will make grooming a statutory aggravating factor when sentencing an adult for a child sex offence. Additionally it will create a statutory duty for certain individuals to report child sexual abuse.

Furthermore, the Bill introduces measures aimed at combating the creation and possession of child sexual abuse material, and places the child sex offender disclosure scheme, (commonly known as ‘Sarah’s Law’) on a statutory basis.

Lastly, the bill introduces new offences relating to the taking of intimate images and voyerism.

Police Powers

New rules pertaining to police powers can be broken into two parts.

Firstly, the bills reintroduces some of the government’s proposals to create new offences related to protests. This includes banning face coverings, pyrotechnics, and climbing war memorials.

Secondly, the bill includes measures allowing the police to enter premises without the need for a warrant if they are searching for electronically tracked stolen goods. Additionally, police can conduct drug tests in custody for a wider range of offences and drugs.

Police Misconduct Investigations

The bill introduces new standards for police misconduct investigations, aiming for greater transparency and accountability within law enforcement. Initially these measures were proposed by the previous government as amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill.

Youth Radicalisation

The bill also introduces measures to address youth radicalisation, due to ongoing concerns about extremism and terrorism.

These measures would introduce ‘youth diversion orders’, a tool designed to manage terrorism risks among individuals under 21. The police could request an order from the courts, allowing them to require or prohibit specific behaviours when necessary to reduce the risk of terrorism.

Get in Touch With Cartwright King’s Criminal Defence Solicitors

At Cartwright King, we understand the challenges these legislative changes can pose to individuals and businesses. Our dedicated criminal defence team is well-prepared to provide guidance tailored to individual circumstances regarding the Crime and Policing Bill.

If you require advice in relation to any matter within the Crime and Policing Bill or any other criminal matter, please get in touch with our new enquiry team through our online form or by give us a call on 03458 894 1622.