My Lords, I, too, support this Bill. Of all the public services, the justice system is the one that requires legislation to change it. I am deeply out of sympathy with those in your Lordships’ House who criticise the Bill for being a Christmas tree. Having been Lord Chancellor and...

My Lords, I, too, support this Bill. Of all the public services, the justice system is the one that requires legislation to change it. I am deeply out of sympathy with those in your Lordships’ House who criticise the Bill for being a Christmas tree. Having been Lord Chancellor and...

I did not imply it, my Lords, I said it.

I did not imply it, my Lords, I said it.

My Lords, that is not at all what I said. The position is that stirring up religious hatred is not covered by the existing law, save in relation to Jews and Sikhs, due to the ethnic basis of their religion. That is the argument that the noble Lord should address,...

My Lords, that is not at all what I said. The position is that stirring up religious hatred is not covered by the existing law, save in relation to Jews and Sikhs, due to the ethnic basis of their religion. That is the argument that the noble Lord should address,...

No, my Lords, it is not. The problem with the Public Order Act is where you are addressing people other than the people whom you are insulting or abusing with a view to stirring up hatred among them against a particular religious group. That is not currently covered by the...

No, my Lords, it is not. The problem with the Public Order Act is where you are addressing people other than the people whom you are insulting or abusing with a view to stirring up hatred among them against a particular religious group. That is not currently covered by the...

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lady Scotland of Asthal, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I am sorry that my noble friend cannot be here this afternoon, but a family illness means that she has had to be called away...

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lady Scotland of Asthal, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I am sorry that my noble friend cannot be here this afternoon, but a family illness means that she has had to be called away...

My Lords, perhaps I might finish this part and then deal with the noble Earl’s question. When considering this proposal when it was part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, the Joint Committee stated:"““We accept the existence of a serious, albeit limited, problem of incitement to hatred on...

My Lords, perhaps I might finish this part and then deal with the noble Earl’s question. When considering this proposal when it was part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill, the Joint Committee stated:"““We accept the existence of a serious, albeit limited, problem of incitement to hatred on...

My Lords, in relation to words such as ““hatred””, no; we do not intend to produce any definition in relation to that because it is a word that a jury could perfectly well understand. As to ““threatening, insulting or abusive behaviour””, again we have no intention to introduce a definition...

My Lords, in relation to words such as ““hatred””, no; we do not intend to produce any definition in relation to that because it is a word that a jury could perfectly well understand. As to ““threatening, insulting or abusive behaviour””, again we have no intention to introduce a definition...

My Lords, what I said in relation to that was that in a democratic society certain religious beliefs—for example, those involving the abuse of children—would not be given credence because they would not have the dignity that should be given to religious beliefs. I do not think for one moment...

My Lords, what I said in relation to that was that in a democratic society certain religious beliefs—for example, those involving the abuse of children—would not be given credence because they would not have the dignity that should be given to religious beliefs. I do not think for one moment...

My Lords, we are not. The reason why there is particular focus on those people is because they incite hatred and violence, not because they are a member of the Muslim faith. That is the critical difference. I wanted briefly to outline the legislative context, because it shows that Parliament...

My Lords, we are not. The reason why there is particular focus on those people is because they incite hatred and violence, not because they are a member of the Muslim faith. That is the critical difference. I wanted briefly to outline the legislative context, because it shows that Parliament...

My Lords, I can give two examples of what I do not believe would be covered. The first is the example to which my noble friend Lady Kennedy of The Shaws referred: what Paul Goggins said on the radio this morning. The poster is headed ““The Burka Bombers”” and shows...

My Lords, I can give two examples of what I do not believe would be covered. The first is the example to which my noble friend Lady Kennedy of The Shaws referred: what Paul Goggins said on the radio this morning. The poster is headed ““The Burka Bombers”” and shows...

My Lords, I apologise for wrinkling my magisterial brow. I did not mean to and I did not aim to upset the noble Lord by doing so.

My Lords, I apologise for wrinkling my magisterial brow. I did not mean to and I did not aim to upset the noble Lord by doing so.

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, referred to the oddity, as he put it, of taking measures against preachers of hate, on the one hand, and providing protection from incitement to religious hatred, on the other. I said that the distinction between the two points is that...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, referred to the oddity, as he put it, of taking measures against preachers of hate, on the one hand, and providing protection from incitement to religious hatred, on the other. I said that the distinction between the two points is that...

My Lords, yes, I am and the argument that the noble Lord must deal is that the statement, ““I urge you to hate all Christians or Muslims”” is certainly not covered by existing law, when it is stated to supporters, rather than the people whom you are seeking to terrify.

My Lords, yes, I am and the argument that the noble Lord must deal is that the statement, ““I urge you to hate all Christians or Muslims”” is certainly not covered by existing law, when it is stated to supporters, rather than the people whom you are seeking to terrify.

I entirely agree, my Lords, but the one thing that did not damage freedom of speech was the incitement to racial hatred—the crime that already exists. More recently, in 1998, under the Crime and Disorder Act and in 2001, under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act, Parliament recognised that a...

I entirely agree, my Lords, but the one thing that did not damage freedom of speech was the incitement to racial hatred—the crime that already exists. More recently, in 1998, under the Crime and Disorder Act and in 2001, under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act, Parliament recognised that a...

My Lords, that is incitement. The issue that the noble Lord needs to deal with is when someone says to a group of supporters, not to the people who might be terrified by it, ““I urge you all to kill this group””, or ““I urge you all to hate this...

My Lords, that is incitement. The issue that the noble Lord needs to deal with is when someone says to a group of supporters, not to the people who might be terrified by it, ““I urge you all to kill this group””, or ““I urge you all to hate this...

My Lords, again the noble Lord is not dealing with the argument: that it is not when you are threatening people because they are Muslims, but when you are talking to your own supporters.

My Lords, again the noble Lord is not dealing with the argument: that it is not when you are threatening people because they are Muslims, but when you are talking to your own supporters.

My Lords, the basis of that prosecution is to deal with racial hatred, not religious hatred.

My Lords, the basis of that prosecution is to deal with racial hatred, not religious hatred.

Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question. (Part 1 of 2).

Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question. (Part 1 of 2).

Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question. (Part 2 of 2)

Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Lords second reading debate. Agreed to on question. (Part 2 of 2)

My Lords, it is not part of the Government's proposals. It seems to us that before you come to a conclusion about putting the Appointments Commission on a statutory basis, you have to find out what will happen about composition generally, and that depends upon the free vote. I have...

My Lords, it is not part of the Government's proposals. It seems to us that before you come to a conclusion about putting the Appointments Commission on a statutory basis, you have to find out what will happen about composition generally, and that depends upon the free vote. I have...