Scotland’s new Hate Crime and Policing Act is due to come into force on April 1st, also known as April Fools’ Day, and will see people from Catholic clergy to Harry Potter author JK Rowling take basic action. The law has been criticized as restricting freedoms.
The text of the bill is Originally introduced many years ago, people with certain protected characteristics, such as age, disability, religion, or religious affiliation in the case of social or cultural groups, sexual orientation, transgender It warns against acts that “incite hatred against groups of people.” Diversity in identity and sexuality.
An official government briefing warns that people could be prosecuted for “inciting hatred” by speaking or sharing offensive rhetoric in various media outlets. provide, transmit, display, or transmit material to others by forwarding or reproducing material originating from third parties, whether directly through blogs, podcasts, social media, etc., or through print media, such as magazine publications or flyers; To play. Through online streaming, email, video playback, theatrical performances, etc. ”
Anyone found guilty of “inciting hatred” in this way could be fined and sentenced to up to seven years in prison.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is credited with passing this bill through parliament. ((Photo credit: Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images))
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The government note goes on to say that this includes “making the material available to others in any way, whether directly (as the originator of the material) or through spoken or written word, electronic communication, or otherwise; ‘ may also be included, it added. or transfer or repeat any material. ”
In a social media post about the law on Sunday, Rowling said: “If you seriously imagine that I would delete a post calling a man a man to avoid being prosecuted under this ridiculous law, then all Please stand by and be the source of an April Fool’s joke.” . ”
Tony Lenehan, president of the Law School Criminal Lawyers Association, warned: BBC“If a new law is woven with threads of subjectivity, broadcasters, after-dinner speakers, comedians, debaters, and playwrights will have to believe in their luck that they will not ultimately be prosecuted under this law. not.”
Police Scotland denied actively “targeting actors, comedians or any other person or group” but said it would still respond to complaints if they were received and would respond to complaints if they witness a hateful incident or are targeted. We are calling on anyone who has done so to contact the police.
Humza Yousaf, then newly elected leader of the Scottish National Party, speaks after being announced as the new SNP leader at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Monday, March 27, 2023. (Andrew Milligan/Pennsylvania via AP)
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of Scottish Parliament website The law states that while “laws already exist to protect certain groups from hate crimes,” the bill “updates these existing laws and combines most of these laws into one bill.” “It also adds to the groups currently specially protected by hate crime laws.” ”
In what some may find ironic, the bill also abolishes “blasphemy” as an indictable crime.
National Catholic Register In 2020, while the bill was still passing through parliament, Scottish Catholic bishops said the bill would lead to censorship of religious and social education and would designate texts such as the Bible as “inflammatory material”. He recalled that he had argued that it was possible. The bishops also noted that their religion’s teachings on sex and gender “may be perceived by others as an abuse of their own personal worldview and may stir up hatred.”
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Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is credited with helping to pass the hate crime bill through the Scottish Parliament.
At the time, the then-Attorney General said the bill “sent a strong and clear message to victims, perpetrators, communities and wider society that bias-motivated crimes will be treated seriously and will not be tolerated.” he emphasized.
