The ‘homophobic hatred’ offence, free speech and religious liberty

Publication

Clause 126 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

January 2008

Clause 126 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill introduces a new offence of inciting hatred on grounds of sexual orientation. There is wide-spread concern about ‘hate speech’ legislation and its impact on freedom of expression. This booklet sets out the concerns about the impact of a proposed ‘homophobic hatred’ law on free speech and religious liberty.