Violent disorder is an offence under the Public Order Act, 1986 and on proof of charge the offence is punishable with a sentence of either five years’ imprisonment or an unlimited fine or both and in case of summary conviction, the court may impose a sentence of six months’ imprisonment or a statutory maximum fine, or both. According to the Act ‘where three or more persons who are present together use or threaten unlawful violence and the conduct of them (taken together) is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety, each of the persons using or threatening unlawful violence is guilty of violent disorder and it is immaterial whether or not the three or more use or threaten unlawful violence simultaneously.” To constitute the offence of violent disorder there need not be any common purpose. The purpose of each of the persons may be different or they might have no purpose whatsoever. There must be at least three persons threatening unlawful violence. If there are three persons involved in a disorder and one of them is acquitted, then the other two ought to be acquitted. If the acquitted person threatens of violence, then he may still be convicted while the others are acquitted.
