a liberal democrat mp has tabled a parliamentary bill that would make it a criminal offence to take a photo up a person’s skirt without their permission.  wera hobhouse introduced the bill after discovering “upskirting” is not illegal because there is no specific crime covering the act.  as a result, police have often been unable to charge people found to be taking inappropriate photos of women without their permission.  ms hobhouse’s bill would amend the sexual offences act 2003 to add upskirting as an offence under a section on voyeurism.  the proposals would see anyone convicted of the crime given a fine or a jail term of up to two years.  the bath mp is due to meet with government ministers to discuss the bill, which she hopes will be passed with cross-party support.  upskirting was made illegal in scotland in 2009 but equivalent legislation has not been passed in england and wales. ms hobhouse’s proposed law is based on the scottish version.  inside politics newsletter the latest news on brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday please enter your email address please enter a valid email address please enter a valid email address sign up thanks for signing up to the inside politics newsletter {{#verifyerrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyerrors}} {{^verifyerrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyerrors}} i would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from the independent. read our privacy notice inside politics newsletter the latest news on brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday thanks for signing up to the inside politics newsletter {{#verifyerrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyerrors}} {{^verifyerrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyerrors}} i would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from the independent. read our privacy notice  while some people have been charged for committing the act under laws relating to public decency, this relies on the incident taking place in a public place or being witnessed by others – a factor campaigners say is irrelevant to the inappropriate nature the act.  speaking to the independent, ms hobhouse said: “it’s a very vile practice – it’s humiliating, it’s degrading, it doesn’t fit with what we as women expect to encounter in the 21st century.  “it’s discriminating and disgusting and there’s a very simple change that would make it a criminal offence.”  she added: “it’s never happened to me, luckily, but i know how embarrassed and awful i would feel if somebody had done that to me.  “it makes you immediately sympathise and think ‘this should absolutely be stopped’.”  international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history show all 17 1 /17 international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history radical political activist angela davis speaks at a protest in raleigh getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history poor pay, 14 hour days and dangerous working conditions led to a strike by around 1400 women and girls at a match factory in bow, london, 1888. the action was later coined ‘the matchgirls strike’ international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history christabel pankhurst, one of the founders of the women's social and political union wspu and a leading member of the suffragette movement, addresses a crowd in trafalgar square in a speech in which she invites the crowd to ‘rush’ the house of commons, 11 october 1908. christabel pankhurst and her mother emmeline, alongside flora drummond, were arrested two days later charged with conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. the rush on parliament went ahead without them however, with over 60,000 suffragettes attempting to break through the 5000 strong police cordon protecting parliament. getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history suffragette emily davison is hit and killed by king george v's horse anmer during the 1913 epsom derby. she fell underneath the galloping horse after leaping from the crowd and trying to grab hold of the reins getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history striking women machinists from the ford plant at dagenham protest outside negotiations over their wages, 1968. the women went on strike over their lack of pay in relation to their male colleagues. the action helped to trigger the equal pay act 1970 getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history the women's liberation movement march in washington, august 1970 getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history protestors disrupt the 1970 miss world competition. original caption: ‘the miss world contest causes a feminist storm as demonstrators invade the royal albert hall where the contest was held. protestors fired ink at spectators and let off stink bombs in scenes resembling a school assembly. the unruly ladies were eventually expelled from the hall by security guards and policemen’ getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history somalians demonstrating in mogadishu for the release of angela davis, march 1972, a black panther activist imprisoned in the usa after being charged with first degree murder. davis was later acquitted getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history jayaben desai, one of the mostly british-asian women out on strike at the grunwick factory in 1977, pictured on the picket line getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history women protest against nuclear weapons outside of raf base greenham common, 1982 getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history indian protestors hold candles during a rally in new delhi in december 2012, after the death of a student who was gang raped on a bus in the indian capital getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history a feminist group sisters uncut protesting against cuts to domestic violence refuges occupy the red carpet during a protest at the suffragette premiere, 7 october 2015 getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history people gather for the women’s march in washington, january 2017 reuters international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history protesters walk during the women’s march on washington, with the us capitol in the background, in january, 2017. donald trump was sworn in as president the previous day getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history women march as part of the gender equality protest in london, march 2017 afp/getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history demonstrators march through during the march4women event, 4 march 2018, london getty international women’s day: groundbreaking figures from history placards are displayed during the march4women, 4 march 2018, london getty  ms hobhouse tabled the bill shortly before international women’s day.  she said: “we’re doing this in advance of international women’s day because we think everybody should do something on that day, not just say ‘oh we’ve achieved a great deal but we need to achieve more’. let’s do one little thing that will make a difference.  “i think this has the potential to make a difference. it won’t change the world but it will make a different to a lot of women.”  there is “no excuse” for failing to act, she added.  ms hobhouse’s bill is scheduled to be debated by mps on 11 may. before then the mp is due to lobby victoria atkins, the minister for women, who asked to meet her to discuss the issue.  it follows a petition set up by gina martin, 25, who was the victim of upskirting at a music festival last summer but was told by police that the culprit could not be charged because the offence was not technically a crime.  ms martin said: “i am delighted that wera hobhouse and her colleagues in the liberal democrats have decided to support my campaign to introduce a specific upskirting offence.  “during her work on this bill with my lawyer ryan whelan, at gibson dunn, i have seen first-hand just how much wera wants to get this right, how much she, like me, wants to ensure that upskirters can be prosecuted appropriately in all circumstances.  “i believe this bill achieves that and i look forward to other politicians from across the political divide joining wera, ryan and i in working to implore [justice secretary] david gauke – and others in government – to close this gap in the law.”  the association of police and crime commissioners has previously said a new law is needed to make upskirting a sexual offence.  vera baird qc, the organisation’s lead on matters relating to victims, said the current law “is far from clear” because there is “no specific offence relating to the taking of pictures for sexual gratification without the victim’s knowledge or consent”.
liberal democrat mp tables new law to make 'upskirting' a criminal offence