Communication over hate crime law could have been better – FM

Scotland’s first minister and justice secretary have both said the government could have done more to communicate to the public what new hate crime laws entail.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into effect on April 1, sparking a deluge of complaints in the ensuing few days – although new figures have shown a near-75% drop-off in reports between the first and second week.

Critics have slammed the Scottish Government’s communications around the Act, claiming it is not clear what would be classed as a hate crime under the new law, which has stirred up offences created for some protected characteristics.

Others have railed against the impact on free speech and the potential pressure on the police from increased complaints.

Yesterday, First Minister Humza Yousaf said “bad faith actors” had submitted “vexatious” complaints in the early days of the Act’s implementation, but he told journalists at the STUC Congress in

Dundee the government would reflect on its communications around the legislation.

“I think that they (bad actors) were always going to put in some vexatious complaints when the Act first came into force and there’s some reflection in government that we could have done more in relation to proactive comms – I think that’s a fair challenge back,” he said.

“But even if we had done all the comms in the world, that wouldn’t have stopped for example members of the far right co-ordinating a campaign to put in vexatious complaints, that was always going to tail off, hence why the police have said there has been a minimal impact on frontline policing.

“Some of the misinformation, I’m sure, has not been deliberate but there has been some that has.”

In a statement to Holyrood later, Justice Secretary Angela Constance added: “I accept that the Scottish Government could have done more to inform people about this Act.”