https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/tags/decriminalisation/Recent content in decriminalisation on Birmingham DailyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usSun, 28 Jun 2026 04:58:00 +0000https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/major-reform-rough-sleeping-to-be-decriminalised-in-birmingham-and-across-england-and-wales/Sun, 28 Jun 2026 04:58:00 +0000https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/major-reform-rough-sleeping-to-be-decriminalised-in-birmingham-and-across-england-and-wales/Starting Monday, rough sleepers in Birmingham and across England and Wales will no longer face criminal penalties for their circumstances, marking a significant policy shift as the 1824 Vagrancy Act is repealed. The Vagrancy Act, enacted nearly two centuries ago, criminalised rough sleeping and begging, effectively penalising people for homelessness. While enforcement of the Act has decreased in recent years, it was still occasionally used to displace homeless individuals rather than address the underlying causes of homelessness.