unlawful assembly

unlawful assembly

▪ law
      gathering of persons for the purpose of committing either a crime involving force or a noncriminal act in a manner likely to terrify the public. The extent to which a government penalizes disorderly assemblies often reflects the political value that it places on the right of assembly.

      In Anglo-American law an assembly of persons is unlawful if the participants share a common illegal purpose, regardless of whether steps are taken to effect that purpose. Thus, it is distinguishable from rout and riot, which require more than mere intent (see riot). In Canada an assembly is unlawful not if it has an unlawful purpose but, rather, if it causes persons in the vicinity to fear that the assembly will disturb the peace tumultuously or cause others to do so. In some U.S. jurisdictions two persons are enough to constitute an assembly. In India five persons are required.

      The continental European codes usually subsume the offense of unlawful assembly under the heading of resistance to public authority. Some constitutions in code-law countries follow the U.S. Constitution in guaranteeing freedom of assembly. But the administrative authority vested in local police forces to control the use of public parks and roads and, if there is a danger of violence, to disperse crowds can be misused to justify interference in many public gatherings that are innocent in their purpose. See also disturbing the peace.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • unlawful assembly — n: the offense of assembling with a certain minimum number of others for the purpose of engaging in a riot or other unlawful conduct that threatens public safety, peace, or order; also: a group so assembled Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law.… …   Law dictionary

  • Unlawful assembly — Assembly As*sem bly, n.; pl. {Assemblies}. [F. assembl[ e]e, fr. assembler. See {Assemble}.] 1. A company of persons collected together in one place, and usually for some common purpose, esp. for deliberation and legislation, for worship, or for… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Unlawful assembly — Unlawful Un*law ful, a. Not lawful; contrary to law. {Un*law ful*ly}, adv. {Un*law ful*ness}, n. [1913 Webster] {Unlawful assembly}. (Law) See under {Assembly}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Unlawful assembly — is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group are about to start the act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot …   Wikipedia

  • unlawful assembly — noun : a meeting of three or more persons in pursuance of a common plan and in such a way as to cause a reasonable apprehension that they will disturb the peace tumultuously * * * unlawful assembly, Law. the meeting of three or more persons to… …   Useful english dictionary

  • unlawful assembly — A gathering of persons, usually three or more, with a common intent, formed before or at any time during the meeting, to attain a purpose, lawful or unlawful, which will interfere with the rights of others, by committing disorderly acts in such a …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • unlawful assembly — gathering of people without a license for a demonstration …   English contemporary dictionary

  • unlawful assembly — /ʌnˌlɔfəl əˈsɛmbli/ (say un.lawfuhl uh semblee) noun a meeting of three or more persons with intent to commit a crime or breach of the peace …  

  • assembly — as·sem·bly n pl blies 1 a: a company of persons collected together in one place usu. for some common purpose b cap: a legislative body esp. that makes up the lower house of a legislature see also general assembly …   Law dictionary

  • unlawful — un·law·ful adj 1: not lawful: not authorized or justified by law 2: acting contrary to or in defiance of the law an unlawful possessor un·law·ful·ly adv un·law·ful·ness n Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law …   Law dictionary

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