Unlimited fines, a two-year maximum, and a new order that started on Monday
What happened
On Monday 26 October 2026, a new court order called a Respect Order came into force across England and Wales. It was announced jointly by the Home Office, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Ministry of Justice. The orders were created by the Crime and Policing Act 2026. A Respect Order applies only to adults, aged 18 and over. It replaces the civil injunction that was previously used for adult anti-social behaviour. People under 18 can still be given a Youth Injunction, which is unchanged. A court can make a Respect Order against someone who has behaved in a way, or threatened to behave in a way, that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. The order can do two kinds of thing. It can ban someone from somewhere or something: a town centre, for example, or drinking in public in a named park or high street. And it can require them to do something: attend drug or alcohol treatment, go to an anger management course, keep a curfew, or carry out volunteering hours. Courts can also impose unlimited fines. Applications can be made by the police, councils, housing association landlords and transport networks. Breaching an order is a criminal offence, carrying up to two years in prison. Police can arrest anyone who breaches one. Orders are recorded on the Police National Computer, so an officer can check whether one is in place.
Why this matters
Anti-social behaviour is the kind of crime that rarely makes the news but shapes how safe a street feels. Shouting outside a house at midnight. Drinking and intimidation in a park. The same few people, the same problem, week after week. The complaint from residents has usually been the same: reporting it changes nothing. The complaint from agencies has been that the tools were slow and that breaching an injunction had weak consequences. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood put it this way: "Unchecked, anti-social behaviour blights our communities. But it is not inevitable and I won't accept it." Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Akehurst, who leads on anti-social behaviour for the National Police Chiefs' Council, said the order "will enable swift enforcement against prolific offenders, while prioritising rehabilitation and support". That last phrase is worth noticing. The order can require treatment as well as impose bans. The thinking is that someone whose behaviour is driven by drink or drugs will keep reoffending unless that part is dealt with. Several other changes were announced alongside. Officers no longer need to give a warning before removing a nuisance vehicle, and can destroy it more quickly. Dispersal powers now last 72 hours instead of 48. Fines for breaching community protection measures rise from £100 to £500. There are 3,800 extra neighbourhood police and support officers, every force now has a lead officer for anti-social behaviour, and forces are expected to respond to neighbourhood queries within 72 hours.
What the evidence actually says
The order is new, so there is no evidence yet about whether it works. Anyone telling you otherwise is guessing. What can be said is that two of the bodies closest to the problem have given careful, conditional welcomes rather than enthusiastic ones. John Hayward-Cripps, chief executive of Neighbourhood Watch, said: "If used effectively, they have the potential to provide agencies with stronger tools to tackle repeat offending." The condition is in the first three words. Rebecca Bryant, chief executive of the charity Resolve, was more direct: "Their success will depend on police, housing providers and local authorities working together effectively." That is the real test. The order gives councils, landlords and police a stronger instrument. It does not make them talk to each other, and in many areas that has been the weak link. There is also a fair question about how broadly the test could be read. Conduct "likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress" is wide wording. It covers serious intimidation, but on its face it could also cover behaviour that is merely annoying. In practice a court decides, and the order has to be proportionate, but how it is used in the first year will matter more than how it was written. The requirement to attend treatment also depends on treatment being available. A court order to go to a drug service is only as good as the local drug service.
Practical advice
If anti-social behaviour is affecting you, keep a record. Dates, times, what happened, and how it affected you. A diary is the single most useful thing you can bring to the police, a council or a landlord, and it is what applications for orders are built from. Report it each time rather than once. Agencies act on patterns, and a pattern needs more than one entry. Report to the right body. The police handle threats, intimidation and criminal damage. Your council handles noise, rubbish and street drinking. If the person involved is a social housing tenant, their landlord has its own powers. If you have reported repeatedly and nothing has happened, you may be able to use the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review, sometimes called the community trigger. Your council's website will explain the local threshold. Do not confront people yourself, however tempting. Keep yourself out of it and let the record do the work. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. For non-urgent police matters, call 101. And if you have been given a Respect Order, read it carefully and get legal advice. Breaching it is a criminal offence, not a civil one, and that is a significant difference.
What to know
Respect Orders came into force across England and Wales on 26 October 2026 under the Crime and Policing Act 2026. They apply to adults aged 18 and over and replace the previous adult civil injunction. Courts can ban someone from an area or from drinking in public, impose unlimited fines, set curfews or volunteering, and require drug, alcohol or anger management treatment. Police, councils, social landlords and transport networks can apply. Breaching an order is a criminal offence with a maximum of two years in prison, and orders are logged on the Police National Computer. Alongside them, dispersal powers extend to 72 hours, nuisance vehicles can be seized without a prior warning, and fines for breaching community protection measures rise to £500. The charities and police leaders quoted welcomed the orders conditionally. Their point was that the tool only works if police, councils and landlords use it together. If this affects your street, the useful action is unglamorous: keep a dated diary and report every incident. Sources: GOV.UK, "Respect Orders launch targeting anti-social behaviour offenders", 26 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/respect-orders-launch-targeting-anti-social-behaviour-offenders — Neighbourhood Watch, "Respect Orders to launch nationwide in national crackdown on ASB offenders", October 2026, https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news/respect-orders-launch-nationwide-national-crackdown-asb-offenders — Crime and Policing Act 2026, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ This article is for general information and is not legal advice. If you are subject to a court order, or need help with anti-social behaviour affecting you, seek advice from a solicitor, Citizens Advice or your local council.
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