Current status of the Bill. Blasphemy to be decriminalised in Scottish hate crime bill This article is more than 8 months old New law will also offer wider protection against race, sex, age and religious discrimination Free speech exception to Scottish hate crime bill withdrawn after backlash from SNP members. The Scottish government’s proposed “Hate Crime and Public Order Bill,” first introduced in April 2020, was so overreaching that it managed to inspire the creation of the “Free to Disagree” grassroots campaign, uniting even the Catholic Church and the National Secular Society in opposition. The Bill provides for the modernising, consolidating and extending of hate crime legislation in Scotland, and is an essential element of our programme of work to tackle hate crime and build community cohesion. Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser tweeted: “A shameful day for Scotland as the Hate Crime Bill passes – a law that will restrict free speech.” By forcing the law to judge an offence on whether or not it was motivated by ‘hate’, the Scottish government is threatening to undermine not only the law, but the idea of equality itself. He said: "I want people across this chamber and across Scotland to come together so we can ensure hate crime law can deal with the problem of stirring up hatred … The Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society of Scotland have welcomed the Scottish government's proposed changes to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, made in Parliament yesterday. Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill [AS INTRODUCED] An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the aggravation of offences by prejudice; to make provision about orelating to stirring up hatred against a group of ffences persons; to abolish the common law offence of blasphemy; and for connected purposes. Scotland’s controversial hate crime bill has passed, as MSPs voted 82-32 in favour of the milestone legislation which seeks to criminalize speech that “stirs up hatred” on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation, age, disability or gender identity. Other famous names to have signed include authors Christopher Brookmyre and Val McDermid, actor Elaine C Smith and playwright Alan Bissett as they claim freedom of expression could be threatened through the implementation of the Bill. 1 . In a submission to the Scottish government on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Catholic bishops said they were concerned that the creation of … Members of the Scottish parliament have voted in favour of the 'general principles' of Scotland's current hate crime bill, but many have warned that freedom of expression protections must be strengthened. MSPs backed the bill by 91 votes to 29 in a vote to mark its first parliamentary stage on Tuesday, following a debate. A few months ago, Scotland was on the verge of banning the “crime” of blasphemy.The nation had proposed a new Hate Crimes Bill, designed to modernize the law, that included a clause abolishing “blasphemy” as a crime.That was great news! The Scottish Government has passed its controversial Hate Crime Bill despite concerns being raised over its impact on freedom of speech. SoE welcomes Scottish Hate Crime Bill climbdown but reiterates threat to free speech Posted on: September 24, 2020 by Claire Meadows The Society of Editors has expressed caution that despite a significant climbdown on Scottish hate crime legislation, the bill still poses a substantial threat to freedom of speech. A controversial bill making its way through Scotland's Parliament would criminalize hate speech even if the offending words were uttered in someone's private home.Members of the Scottish Parliament questioned Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf for the first time on Tuesday about the Hate Crime and Public Order Bill, which would establish a new crime, "stirring up hatred. Hate Crime Bill approved – How did it happen? The Hate Crime Bill signals how far the Scottish government is willing to go in its war on equality in Scottish law. The Bill, which aims to consolidate and extend existing hate crime law, was passed 82 votes to 32 on Thursday after months of debate and multiple amendments. By creating robust laws for the justice system, Parliament will send a strong message to victims, perpetrators, communities and to wider society that offences motivated by prejudice will be treated seriously and will not be tolerated. HOLYROOD has passed the SNP's controversial Hate Crime Bill despite warnings it is still 'fundamentally flawed' and will have a 'chilling' effect on freedom of speech. But history shows us that censorship is no way to fight hate. The new Hate Crime Bill proposed by the Scottish Government is a sweeping threat to freedom of speech and conscience. The proposed amendments, if agreed to by Parliament, would mean a conviction for new offences of "stirring up" hatred would be possible only where it was shown that someone intended to … Rowan Atkinson is the latest high-profile figure to put his name to a letter opposing the Scottish government's Hate Crime Bill. THE Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill seeks to modernise, consolidate and extend existing hate crime legislation in Scotland. The Society of Editors is to write to the Scottish Government expressing grave concerns over proposed new anti- hate crime laws it says have the potential to severely restrict free speech throughout the UK. It is all there in the Scottish government’s hate crime and public order bill. P. ART . Hate-speech laws are no friend of minorities. Authors, comedians, and actors push back against Scotland’s authoritarian Hate Speech bill Stage 1 A COALITION OF 20 artists, authors, journalists and campaigners including a friend of the First Minister are claiming a threat to free speech over Scotland's hate crime bill.. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill has been introduced to the Scottish Parliament. There is still a chance a Judicial Review may find it discriminatory, but for now its passage into law seems assured. A News Politics Majority of Scots oppose new hate crime laws, poll suggests More than two-thirds of Scots oppose controversial measures at the heart of proposed new hate crime laws. Legal body the Faculty of Advocates raised concerns over ‘unintended consequences’ for freedom of speech contained within the draft of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill. Last week, the Hate Crime Bill was approved by Holyrood, and the amendments we hoped to see included were not made. EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 16, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – By a vote of 82 to 32, Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have passed into law the highly divisive so-called Hate Crime Bill… The bill passed despite concerns raised … In Scotland, saying that sex is binary could soon be a crime. 5 . Ian Stewart, Convener of Atheist Scotland, told The Courier atheists saw “some merit” in the SNP’s Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill “as it will enable the prosecution of all Scotland’s religions and their Holy Books for spreading hatred”. This Scottish Government Bill was introduced by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf MSP, on 23 April 2020. “This new Hate Crime Bill is an important milestone. HUMZA Yousaf was slated tonight as his Hate Crime Bill protected "cross-dressers" — but not women. The Hate Crime (Scotland) Bill threatens to undermine this aspiration. The motion will call for the Scottish Government to withdraw the bill and bring forward a new law that tackles hate crime without attacking free speech. UPDATE: 15th March 2021. Read the Bill and accompanying documents. Scotland’s hate speech law is vague and dangerous for free speech, expert says. Watering down Scotland’s hate crime bill has ensured that it will protect free speech and not criminalise offensive language, the justice secretary has said.Humza Yousaf said that the fears of I welcome scrutiny of the bill’s provisions as it proceeds through Parliament and I read with interest Andrew Tickell’s article published on April 26, he is … Scotland’s Hate Crime Bill is well-intentioned. The Bill provides for the modernising, consolidating and extending of hate crime legislation in Scotland. 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