Police Powers to Give Directions to Protesters at Places of Worship
Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Introduced by: Michael Daley MP (ALP); The Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Susan Carter LIB
“It will come as no surprise to members of this House that Opposition members support the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025, especially because it includes schedule 2 [2] from our bill, which my colleague the shadow Attorney General, the member for Wahroonga, introduced in the other place last week.”
Sue Higginson GRN
“It would be no surprise to anyone in this House that The Greens simply do not and cannot support the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025. New South Wales has such a proud history of protest movements that have shaped our society.”
Mark Latham IND
“In speaking in debate on the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025, I pay tribute to the previous speaker, Ms Sue Higginson, for the work she has done on this legal matter. She was obviously part of the legal team; otherwise, she was photobombing all the shots in front of the courts to get her head in the newspaper.”
Rod Roberts IND
“From the outset, I state that I broadly support the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025. However, New South Wales deserves a better bill. The previous bill attempted to make provisions to protect from harassment and intimidation those who attended a place of worship.”
Rachel Merton LIB
“The principle at the heart of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025 is straightforward and, I believe, uncontroversial. A person should be able to enter or leave a place of worship without being blocked, impeded, harassed or intimidated.”
Tania Mihailuk IND
“I speak in debate on the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025. I fundamentally support the principle that every person in New South Wales should be able to enter, attend and leave a place of worship in a safe and peaceful manner. In my case, it is a church.”
Stephen Lawrence ALP
“I make a few points about the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025. I have listened carefully to the contributions, which have touched upon the previous legislation, the decision of the Supreme Court and this bill. It is important to reflect on that history because it tells us some important things as legislators.”
Wes Fang NAT
“I was not going to contribute to debate on the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025, but I note the Government has pulled yet another bill from the schedule so members can leave at a decent hour.”
Mark Buttigieg ALP
“Wes Fang, the Hon. Susan Carter, Ms Sue Higginson, the Hon. Mark Latham, the Hon. Rod Roberts, the Hon. Rachel Merton, the Hon. Tania Mihailuk and the Hon. Stephen Lawrence. The Government makes no apologies for its continued efforts to protect people who are accessing their places of worship and expressing their faith from intimidation, harassment and threats.”
News articles and press releases
Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Places of Worship) Bill 2025
Mr MICHAEL DALEY, Attorney General — 2025-11-18
Consistent with the Supreme Court’s judgement, this bill proposes to clarify the move on power to give effect to the original intention of this measure. The bill will amend LEPRA to authorise police to give a move on direction to a person participating in an unauthorised demonstration, protest, procession or assembly taking place in or near a place of worship but only to a person who is, firstly, intentionally blocking, impeding or hindering a person accessing or leaving, or attempting to access or leave, the place of worship; or, secondly, harassing, intimidating or threatening a person accessing or leaving, or attempting to access or leave, the place of worship.