9 Jun 2005 - New effort to ban religious hate
Measures to protect individuals from hatred stirred up against them on the basis of their religious belief were set out today by the Government as it published the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.
The Bill would give members of all faiths equal protection from incited hatred, which has a corrosive effect on communities and can lead to violence and harassment, dividing communities and increasing the fear of crime.
It would create a new offence of Incitement to Religious Hatred, closing a gap in existing law, whereby Jews and Sikhs are protected explicitly against incited hatred by the racial hatred offences in the Public Order Act, but members of other faiths are not. The offences would apply where threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour are used by someone who intends to stir up hatred against a group of people defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief, or it is likely that such hatred will be stirred up.
Home Office Minister, Paul Goggins, said:
"People of all backgrounds and faiths have a right to live free from hatred, racism and extremism. Only by tackling such issues head on will we preserve the tolerance, fairness and inclusiveness which are such vital parts of our society.
"This Bill, supported by a wide range of faith and secular organisations, takes up that challenge. It will not rule out criticism of religion, or outlaw the telling of religious jokes. It is about protecting individuals from hatred, and the fear of violence and harassment created by it."
The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith QC, said:
"This Bill is unfinished business from the last session of Parliament and will provide protection to groups of people which other groups already have. It's about protecting people from hatred, not faiths from criticism."
Prosecution under the new offence of Incitement to Religious Hatred would require that offensive words or actions must be threatening, abusive or insulting and intended to stir up hatred, or, having regard to all the circumstances, likely to stir up such hatred. Religious hatred is defined as "hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief." All prosecutions would have to pass the Crown Prosecution Service public interest test and require the consent of the Attorney General.
The new proposal would not prohibit people, including artists and performers, from offending, criticising or ridiculing faiths, but would protect people from incitement to hatred against them because of their faith.
The Bill is published, together with Explanatory Notes is supported by a wide range of faith and secular organisations, including:
* The Association of Chief Police Officers
* Justice
* The Commission for Racial Equality
* The Muslim Council of Britain
* The Hindu Forum
* The Board of Deputies of British Jews.
* The Imams and Mosques Council
* The British Humanist Association
* The Law Society
* The Hindu Council
* The Network of Sikh Organisations.
The House of Commons have also published a research paper on the Bill.
See also Q&A: Religious hatred law from the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3873323.stm
The Bill would give members of all faiths equal protection from incited hatred, which has a corrosive effect on communities and can lead to violence and harassment, dividing communities and increasing the fear of crime.
It would create a new offence of Incitement to Religious Hatred, closing a gap in existing law, whereby Jews and Sikhs are protected explicitly against incited hatred by the racial hatred offences in the Public Order Act, but members of other faiths are not. The offences would apply where threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour are used by someone who intends to stir up hatred against a group of people defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief, or it is likely that such hatred will be stirred up.
Home Office Minister, Paul Goggins, said:
"People of all backgrounds and faiths have a right to live free from hatred, racism and extremism. Only by tackling such issues head on will we preserve the tolerance, fairness and inclusiveness which are such vital parts of our society.
"This Bill, supported by a wide range of faith and secular organisations, takes up that challenge. It will not rule out criticism of religion, or outlaw the telling of religious jokes. It is about protecting individuals from hatred, and the fear of violence and harassment created by it."
The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith QC, said:
"This Bill is unfinished business from the last session of Parliament and will provide protection to groups of people which other groups already have. It's about protecting people from hatred, not faiths from criticism."
Prosecution under the new offence of Incitement to Religious Hatred would require that offensive words or actions must be threatening, abusive or insulting and intended to stir up hatred, or, having regard to all the circumstances, likely to stir up such hatred. Religious hatred is defined as "hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief." All prosecutions would have to pass the Crown Prosecution Service public interest test and require the consent of the Attorney General.
The new proposal would not prohibit people, including artists and performers, from offending, criticising or ridiculing faiths, but would protect people from incitement to hatred against them because of their faith.
The Bill is published, together with Explanatory Notes is supported by a wide range of faith and secular organisations, including:
* The Association of Chief Police Officers
* Justice
* The Commission for Racial Equality
* The Muslim Council of Britain
* The Hindu Forum
* The Board of Deputies of British Jews.
* The Imams and Mosques Council
* The British Humanist Association
* The Law Society
* The Hindu Council
* The Network of Sikh Organisations.
The House of Commons have also published a research paper on the Bill.
See also Q&A: Religious hatred law from the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3873323.stm
