English

Noun

breach of the peace ‎(plural breaches of the peace)

1. (law) The legal offense of engaging in public behavior which is violent, rowdy, or disruptive.
   • 1823, James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, ch. 32:

     [T]he sheriff turned his eyes again. . . . "What have we here?" he cried; "two men boxing! Has there been a breach of the peace?"

   • 1938 May 16, "Jamaica: Riot Act," Time:

     Short of high treason, the gravest form of breach of the peace known to British law is riot.

   • 2003 Oct. 24, Aban Contractor et al., "Why a world leader used the servants' entrance," Sydney Morning Herald (retrieved 6 Oct 2012):

     Four men and a woman were arrested and charged with breaches of the peace after a series of scuffles in which protesters and police received minor injuries.

2. (by extension) Any public disturbance or disorderly behavior.
   • 1898, George Gissing, The Town Traveller, ch. 20:

     Polly's suspicions were louder, her temper became uncertain; once or twice she forgot herself and used language calculated to cause a breach of the peace.

   • 1912, Irving Bacheller, ‘Charge It’, ch. 14:

     Then, suddenly, the singing fell upon us and broke the silence into ruins. It was in the nature of a breach of the peace.

   • 2009 April 2, Jasper Gerard, "Bucolic Britain is stirring," The Telegraph (UK) (retrieved 6 Oct 2012):

     My rural ride continues, and on a gloriously balmy day in Worth Matravers the only obvious sign of a breach of the peace is a flock of geese lolloping out of the pond, on to the lane.

Translations

See also

• disorderly conduct

References

• breach of the peace at OneLook Dictionary Search