Scotland's police officers warn SNP hate crime bill could criminalise private conversation
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill could mean officers "determining free speech".
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/07/28/scotlands-police-officers-warn-snp-hate-crime-bill-could-criminalise/
Scots could even face prosecution if they play a song that others deem offensive.
7yrs in prison
good times ahead then 😆
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Scotland's Catholic bishops warn Bible could fall foul of SNP hate crime law
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland their belief a person's sex and gender are "not fluid and changeable" may also fall foul of the law.
and people said I was mad when I suggested that SNP want a granny state
if this bill and new law gets passed
Scottish people will be getting arrested for doing what we do best
insults
srsly this is fuckin bullshit this
The proposed new law would make "stirring up hatred" against certain groups a criminal offence, even if a person making the remarks had not intended to do so or made them in private.
Those convicted face up to seven years in prison
and no doubt in my mind this will happen
"clarity around definitions and a potentially low threshold for committing an offence, which they fear, could lead to a 'deluge of vexatious claims"
Acting could be a hate crime
Performers in Scotland could be punished for playing ‘offensive’ roles under a new hate-crime law.
https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/07/28/acting-could-soon-be-a-hate-crime/
The bill is intended to prevent harm to potential victims of hate crime. But it would criminalise anything deemed likely to ‘stir up hatred’ against people on the basis of their age, religion, gender identity or other protected characteristics – even if it is an actor pretending to be racist, transphobic or bigoted for the purposes of a play
at least
Criticising Scottish Government policy won't be a criminal offence under the Hate Crime bill
but everything else could be
Lack of clarity in Hate Crime Bill could threaten freedom of expression
It has criticised vagueness in the bill and its policy intentions, which would result in a lack of certainty for the public in understanding what constituted criminal behaviour. This would also impact on solicitors, whether prosecuting or defending those accused of offences created in the bill.
Those unhappy about aspects of the legislation, who include figures such as former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars and leading QC Roddy Dunlop, newly-appointed dean of the Faculty of Advocates
Others, including MSP Murdo Fraser and chair of the Scottish Newspaper Society, John McLellan, have pointed to recent examples, including the experience of Harry Potter author JK Rowling, claiming she could conceivably “find herself in the dock” over comments about transgender issues under the new laws.
New Scottish hate crime laws 'could devastate legitimacy of police'
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-53567229
The bill follows an independent review by judge Lord Bracadale, in which he recommended adding age and gender to the current list of protected characteristics.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/independent-review-hate-crime-legislation-scotland-final-report/
Amanda Millar, president of the Law Society of Scotland, said it was right that laws provide a clear message that hatred should have no place in our society.
"However, we have significant reservations regarding a number of the bill's provisions and the lack of clarity, which could in effect lead to restrictions in freedom of expression, one of the foundations of a democratic society.
"We have real concerns that certain behaviour, views expressed or even an actor's performance, which might well be deemed insulting or offensive, could result in a criminal conviction under the terms of the bill as currently drafted."
Scottish Labour criticised the offence of stirring up hatred and accused ministers of failing to learn the lessons of the repealed Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-43405134
in Scotland you can be arrested for singing sectarian songs at football
BUT
in Scotland the orange lodge are allowed to march on our streets and play sectarian songs
there is a pervasive atmosphere in Scotland of people being frightened into silence
Historian has joined criticism of the Scottish government's proposed hate crime bill over it's feared impact on freedom of speech
CONTROVERSIAL hate crime legislation will be further watered down to address widespread concerns over its impact, the Justice Secretary has confirmed.
It comes just weeks after he announced the legislation will be altered to ensure a conviction for new offences of "stirring up" hatred would only be possible where it was shown that someone intended to stir up hatred through their actions or behaviour.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18894177.snp-announce-changes-controversial-hate-crime-bill/
The Scottish Government has made the Hate Crime Bill controversial
It’s a bill that has managed to unite bodies as diverse as the Catholic Church, the Free Church of Scotland, the Network of Sikh Organisations, the Humanist Society, the National Secular Society, Index on Censorship, Scottish PEN, as well as Peter Tatchell, authors, playwrights, comedians, journalists and actors in opposition to it.
That is quite some achievement.
that's kinda crazy. W'd they have that much influence?
@artemis yup
the actual law they wanna pass in this bill means if I say something you find offensive you can report me
if me and were having a conversation and someone was listening in say on a bus and something was said that they found offensive me and you could be arrested
if I play a song you find offensive I could be arrested
and so on and so on
how hatred is defined is not clear which leaves it open to wide interpretation
holy guacamole...
even if they pass this non-sense, how could it be enforced?
Life is not a monastery. LOL
kinda why the Scottish police are opposed to this passing
they have no idea how it'll be policed
especially if it's one person saying something against another with no witnesses
and we have the "what if a few people don't like me get together and just say he said this" situation
the whole thing is really isn't policiable < if that's even a word lol 😜
@ecksmc
Time for y'all to do your own version of Brexit...
Wales, and Ireland also...
@InvaderGzim this is a scottish government bill/law NOT UK
will only apply in Scotland
@ecksmc I want to visit Scotland and test this out.
@RandomUsr A Rangers fan who was arrested for sectarian singing while on his way to attend a game against Celtic has been jailed for four months.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-31856341
just one case
do so at your own risk
you will be jailed
@ecksmc There is a pandemic, so I don't think I could if I wanted to.
The SNP's controversial hate crime law could lead to the policing of what Scots "think or feel" and criminalise private conversation, the organisation representing rank-and-file officers has warned.
The Bill would replace criminal intent with "something altogether more nebulous", it said, with "some form of 'accidental effect'" being enough to secure a conviction.