Riotous Assemblies Act, 1956

Riotous Assemblies Act, 1956
Parliament of South Africa
Long title Act to consolidate the laws relating to riotous assemblies and the prohibition of the engendering of feelings of hostility between the European and non-European inhabitants of the Republic and matters incidental thereto, and the laws relating to certain offences.
Citation	Act No. 17 of 1956
Enacted by	Parliament of South Africa
Royal assent	8 March 1956
Commenced	16 March 1956
Administered by	Minister of Justice
Amended by
General Law Amendment Act 76 of 1962
Repealed by
Intimidation Act, 1982 Internal Security Act, 1982
Status: Repealed

The Riotous Assemblies Act, Act No 17 of 1956 in South Africa (taking effect 16 March) prohibited gatherings in open-air public places if the Minister of Justice considered they could endanger the public peace. Banishment was also included as a form of punishment.

This Act was passed in response to the Congress of the People, held at Kliptown, near Johannesburg, in June 1955.^[1] Following a call from the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Indian Congress, the South African Coloured People's Congress, the South African Congress of Democrats, and the South African Congress of Trade Unions, some 3,000 people met with the purpose of adopting the Freedom Charter.^[1] The Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 was also used in the prosecution of the Treason Trial, the judicial outcome of the gathering having replaced Riotous Assemblies and Suppression of Communism Amendment Act, 1954.^[1]