Narrow Margins: the criminalisation of trespass, the politics of property, and life on the margins in England

2019年，在英国脱欧的话语主导下，保守党提出的进一步将非法侵入定为刑事犯罪的建议没有得到公开辩论。现在，Covid-19已经占据了议程，同时暴露了我们当前财产和住房制度的断层线。英国通过一系列立法将非法侵入定为刑事犯罪，直接影响了那些在现有不平等财产制度下最边缘化的人。对于一些社区来说，非法侵入可能是满足基本需求的唯一途径，例如住房、安全和社会支持网络，以及找到在抗议或公开辩论中表达被忽视的声音的方法（例如，通过抗议和直接行动）。在更长的历史尺度上，与犯罪化相对应，也出现了财产的正规化，所有权越来越多地通过登记和所有权得到保护。这代表了一种从强调“使用”作为合法所有权基础的转变，转向财产“所有权”，这在某种程度上使财产使用的两极分化更容易集中在越来越少的人手中。犯罪化和正规化的双重过程正在造成伤害，使脆弱的社区陷入困境。总之，非法侵入的刑事定罪和财产的正规化代表了国家在仲裁合法财产使用方面的一种历史上新颖的干预，将民法转变为一种惩罚性的方法，寻求代表所有者惩罚违法者。目的/目标该项目旨在探索英国对非法侵入的刑事定罪及其对边缘社区的影响。研究问题（RQ1）询问刑事定罪和正规化对边缘化社区的日常影响，目的（Obj1）是鼓励围绕财产和非法侵入进行辩论。这是对政府提议在英格兰将非法侵入定为刑事犯罪的直接回应，将通过建立一个证据基础来实现，该证据基础可以支持边缘化群体和运动，并为公共辩论和决策提供信息。RQ2侧重于非法侵入和财产的共同和对比经验。这将建立一个这些趋势对不同动机和目标群体的影响的交叉图景，其目标（Obj2）是对英格兰边缘地区非法侵入和财产的生活经验有更好的经验理解。这4个案例研究代表了不同的社区、动机和人口统计数据，以比较和对比不同的经验，并提高其边缘化的可见性。最后，RQ3揭示了支持非法侵入犯罪化的假设和基本原理，并试图探索财产形式化与殖民主义的地理历史交集。目标（Obj3）是综合现有的财产和非法侵入（社会科学与法律）方法，采用案例研究的子学科方法和非殖民化文献，以便为理解英国的这些问题开发一个新的概念框架。潜在的应用/好处：通过对非法侵入者的生活经历和声音的重视，这些非法侵入者同时受到现有财产制度的诋毁和压榨，收集的数据将构建一幅犯罪化和正规化的日常影响的图景，通过4个案例研究来发展见解。项目成果将通过提供证据基础来支持这些社区和合作伙伴的声音，这些证据基础可以在运动中动员起来，并用于为公共辩论提供信息。通过该项目，还将扩大学术和公众对刑事定罪的更广泛影响的理解，消除对这些社区的负面刻板印象和误解。最后，这项研究将为围绕这些政策的政府决策提供信息。

ContextIn 2019, the Conservative Party's proposals to further criminalise trespass in England went without public debate under the discursive dominance of Brexit. Now, Covid-19 has taken over the agenda, whilst simultaneously revealing the fault lines of our current property and housing system. The steady criminalisation of trespass, through a series of legislation in the UK, has directly impacted on those most marginalised by existing unequal property systems. For some communities, trespass can be the only route to meet fundamental needs, such as shelter, security, and social support networks, as well as finding ways to assert ignored voices in protest or public debate (e.g., through protest and direct action). On a longer historical scale, and mirroring criminalisation, there has also been a formalisation of property, where ownership is increasingly protected through registration and title. This represents a shift away from emphasising 'use' as the basis for legitimate ownership, and towards property 'title', in a way which makes it easier for a polarisation of property use concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. It's on the narrow margins where these twin processes of criminalisation and formalisation are taking their toll, trapping vulnerable communities. Together, the criminalisation of trespass and formalisation of property represent an historically novel intervention by the state in arbitrating legitimate property use, transforming civil law towards a punitive approach that seeks to punish offenders on behalf of owners. Aims/ObjectivesThe project aims to explore the steady criminalisation of trespass and its impact upon marginalised communities in England. Research Question (RQ1) asks what the everyday impacts of criminalisation and formalisation are on marginalised communities, with the objective (Obj1) of encouraging debate around property and trespass. This is in direct response to the government's proposals to criminalise trespass in England and will be achieved through building an evidence base which can support marginalised groups and campaigns, as well as inform public debate and policy-making.RQ2 focuses on the common and contrasting experiences of trespass and property. This will build an intersectional picture of the impact of these trends across groups with different motivations and aims, with the objective (Obj2) of a better empirical understanding of lived experiences of trespass and property on the margins in England. The 4 case studies represent different communities, motivations, and demographics, in order to compare and contrast varied experiences, and advance the visibility of their marginality.Finally, RQ3 unpacks the assumptions and rationales which underpin moves towards trespass criminalisation, and seeks to explore the geo-historical intersection of property formalisation with colonialism. The objective (Obj3) is to synthesise existing approaches to property and trespass (Social Sciences & Law), with sub-disciplinary approaches to the case studies, and decolonial literature, in order to develop a new conceptual framework for understanding these issues in the UK.Potential Applications/BenefitsBy privileging the lived experiences and voices of trespassers who are simultaneously vilified and squeezed by existing property systems, the collected data will build a picture of everyday impacts of criminalisation and formalisation, working across 4 case studies to develop insights. The project deliverables will support the voices of these communities and partners by providing an evidence base, which can be mobilised in campaigns and used to inform public debate. Scholarly and public understanding of the wider impacts of criminalisation will also be expanded through the project, countering negative stereotypes and misunderstandings of these communities. Finally, the research will inform government decision-making around such policies.