Cap. 11:23 Maintenance of Peace and Order “public gathering” means a public meeting or a public demonstration; “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— No. 9/2019 “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; (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 3, is the regulating authority for that area; “responsible officer” means a person appointed in terms of section 6(1) as responsible officer or deputy responsible officer, and includes any person deemed in terms of section 6(3) to be a responsible officer; “statement” means any expression of fact or opinion, whether made orally, in writing, electronically or by visual images; “thoroughfare” means any road, street, lane, path, pavement, sidewalk or similar place which exists for the free passage of persons or vehicles. 3 Regulating authorities (1) The police officer in command of each police district shall be the regulating authority for that police district. (2) Whenever in this Act a convener is required to give a convening notice to a regulating authority, such notice shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered to the police officer in charge of a police station closest in proximity to the place where the gathering is proposed to be held or, in the absence of the police officer in charge, the most senior officer present in that police station. (3) The police officer referred to in subsection (2) shall immediately notify the regulating authority of a convening notice received under that subsection. 4 Temporary prohibition of possession of certain weapons within particular police districts (1) Without derogation from section 28 (“Possession of dangerous weapons”) of the Criminal Law Code, if a regulating authority believes that the carrying in public 485