The analysis of the reasons the UK is unlikely to become a police state

Abstract

In today’s society, there is tension between the exercise of public power and the protection of free speech. In Britain, nearly 1,000 people have been arrested for freedom of speech in the past five years. There has been discussion about whether Britain is becoming a police state. The system of the police state is undemocratic and authoritarian and serves a particular class. Under such a system, the police can arbitrarily use public power to arrest citizens, and citizens’ fundamental freedoms cannot be guaranteed. Today’s British society is civil, and citizens enjoy fundamental rights, including freedom of speech. The law establishes the boundaries of freedom of speech. Regarding limiting police power, the scope of police power can be clarified at the legislative and judicial levels, and the relationship between public power and private rights should be balanced. Thus, this paper argues that Britain will unlikely become a police state.