England and Wales will introduce new "respect orders," a modern iteration of the "anti-social behaviour orders" (Asbos), later this year to address persistent disruptive conduct. These civil court orders will be aimed at adults and are designed to tackle offenses such as vandalism, excessive noise from neighbors, and the misuse of e-bikes and e-scooters.
The rollout of these measures is scheduled to begin on October 26. Breaching a respect order could result in immediate arrest and a potential jail sentence of up to two years. This contrasts with the original Asbos, introduced in 1998, which could be applied to individuals aged 10 and over and carried a maximum five-year prison term before being scrapped in 2014.
Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones stated that anti-social behavior can have a devastating impact on residents and communities, often holding neighborhoods "hostage by the same repeat offenders." She emphasized that the respect orders will ban perpetrators from specific locations they blight and mandate confronting the root causes of their behavior. Making a breach a criminal offense with serious consequences, including prison, is intended to send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.
Beyond potential jail time, penalties for violating a respect order may include curfews, unlimited fines, and community orders. Police, local councils, social landlords, Transport for London, the Environment Agency, and the NHS Counter Fraud Authority will be among the agencies empowered to seek these orders from the courts.
Victims advocate Harvinder Saimbhi of the charity ASBHelp noted that victims desire "visible action and consistent enforcement." The introduction of respect orders is seen as a clear national signal that anti-social behavior will face "firm, immediate consequences" and that communities will no longer be expected to endure repeated harm.