The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scottish bishops warn Bible may break law under Hate Crime Bill reforms.
Concerns over proposed new legislation raised by Catholic bishops in Scotland
Scotland’s Catholic bishops have raised concerns that possessing the Bible could become an offence under proposed new hate crime legislation.
The Catholic Church has become the latest organisation to raise its worries about controversial reforms in the Scottish Government’s new Hate Crime Bill.
It has made a submission to MSPs on Holyrood’s Justice Committee, who have been tasked with scrutinising the reforms.
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland said: “Any new law must be carefully weighed against fundamental freedoms, such as the right to free speech, freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”
With section five of the legislation creating an offence of possessing inflammatory material, they fear the “low threshold” in the proposed new laws “could render material such as the Bible... as being inflammatory under the new provision”.
The new Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill will, if passed, also create an offence of “stirring up hatred” against a protected group, expanding on existing laws protecting racial groups.
The bishops warned “how hatred is defined is not clear which leaves it open to wide interpretation” – adding this “could lead to vexatious claims having to be dealt with by police”.
In their submission they also stressed “criminalising conduct is a serious step that should not be taken lightly”.
They argued rights to freedom of expression “must be robust enough to protect the freedom to disagree”.
Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic parliamentary office, said: “Whilst acknowledging that stirring up of hatred is morally wrong and supporting moves to discourage and condemn such behaviour, the bishops have expressed concerns about the lack of clarity around definitions and a potentially low threshold for committing an offence, which they fear, could lead to a ‘deluge of vexatious claims’.
“A new offence of possessing inflammatory material could even render material such as the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church ... inflammatory.”
The Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, claimed the Bill – which has also come under fire from opposition politicians – “appears to paralyse freedom of speech in Scotland”.
Any new law must be carefully weighed against fundamental freedoms such as the right to free speech, freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience and religion. BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF SCOTLAND
There are many millions around the world for whom study of religious texts is a cornerstone of their faith. For example, practising Catholics and Protestants look to the Bible while Islam holds the Quran sacred.
Debate over faith and the meaning of the words contained within those religious texts have spanned millennia.
And it is true that over the centuries many fights have been had and wars have been waged in their name.
But surely few in modern society would suggest the simple act of owning a Bible or a Quran for the purpose of religious observance was an act motivated by anything other than personal faith.
However, Scotland’s Catholic bishops have now raised their concerns that possessing the Bible could amount to an offence if the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill makes it on to the statute book in its current guise.
They fear the Bible’s teachings could be construed as inflammatory under the proposed provisions, putting its possessor at odds with the law.
It is a nonsense scenario, but it is far from the only issue raised with the proposed new legislation.
Campaigners from many walks of life in Scotland fear the Bill, if passed, would impinge on long held freedoms and could be used to close down legitimate debate.
In order to stay relevant and protect society’s vulnerable, the law must evolve. But Scotland’s parliamentarians would do well to proceed with extreme caution.