Memorandum submitted by Mr R Hyde (CJ&I 316)
I am concerned about the amendment which is being proposed to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill in regard to inciting hatred on the grounds of sexuality. I've no desire to verbally abuse homosexual people, but I do believe that freedom of speech must be preserved as a pillar of our society. I am concerned that this will introduce a new 'mine field' of thought crime into the legal world, which will be very difficult to deal with and will invariably lead to perfectly reasonable people being placed in impossible situations. All of us are already protected from assault and threatening words or behaviour under the current criminal law, so this amendment is not needed. In the interests of freedom of speech, will you please prevent this wedge from being placed in the door of an open and free society? October 2007
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