Public Order and Security Act [Chapter 11:17] as amended at 11th January, 2008 “election period” has the meaning given to that term by the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] (No. 25 of 2004); “gathering” means— (a) a procession or public demonstration; or (b) a public meeting; “meeting” means a meeting held for the purpose of the discussion of matters of public interest or for the purpose of the expression of views on such matters; “Minister” means the Minister of Home Affairs or any other Minister to whom the President may, from time to time, assign the administration of this Act; “organization” means any association, group or body of persons, whether or not such association, group or body has been incorporated, established or registered in accordance with any law, and includes any branch thereof; “peace officer” has the meaning given to that term in section 2 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act [Chapter 9:07]; “police district” means an area designated by the Commissioner of Police as a police district for the purposes of the administration of the Police Force; “private place” means any place that is not a public place; “procession” means a procession in a public place; “prohibition notice” means a notice prohibiting a procession or public demonstration referred to in section 26(9); “public gathering” means a public meeting or a public demonstration; “public demonstration” means a procession, gathering or assembly in a public place of persons and additionally, or alternatively, of vehicles, where the gathering is in pursuit of a common purpose of demonstrating support for, or opposition to, any person, matter or thing, whether or not the gathering is spontaneous or is confined to persons who are members of a particular organisation, association or other body or to persons who have been invited to attend; “public meeting” means any meeting of more than fifteen persons in a public place or meeting which the public or any section of the public is permitted to attend, whether on payment or otherwise, but does not include a meeting of any organ or structure of a political party or other organisation held in— (a) any private place, whether or not it is wholly or partly in the open; or (b) any public place that is not wholly in the open; “public place” means any thoroughfare, building, open space or other place of any description to which the public or any section of the public have access, whether on payment or otherwise and whether or not the right of admission thereto is reserved; “publication” includes a document, book, magazine, film, sound or visual broadcast, tape, disc or other material, medium or thing whatsoever in which, on which or by means of which a statement may be made; “regulating authority”, in relation to any area, means the police officer who, in terms of section four, is the regulating authority for that area; -4-