The House of Lords has tonight voted to reform a controversial law that criminalises “insulting” words or behaviour.
Peers voted by 150 to 54 in favour of an amendment to remove the word “insulting” from Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
The move was welcomed by Reform Section 5 (RS5) – a campaign backed by The Christian Institute, the National Secular Society and the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
Vital
Simon Calvert, Campaign Director of RS5, said he was “delighted” at the result and commented: “Freedom of speech is such a vital part of British heritage but this law has seen many people suffer – simply for speaking their mind.
“Tonight we have seen that the House of Lords does not want this to continue.
“Now it’s up to the Government to decide whether it’s going to allow tonight’s vote to stand.
“We hope they’ll see sense and allow this important reform to become law.”