FM ‘ proud’ of new hate crime laws

SCOTLAND’S First Minister has insisted he is “very proud” of new hate crime laws which have just come into force, as author JK Rowling warned the legislation is “wide open to abuse”.

The Harry Potter author, who has become a fierce critic of the Scottish Government’s stance on transgender rights, has been one of the highest profile critics of the legislation.

The Hate Crime and Public Order ( Scotland) Act came into effect yesterday, consolidating existing hate crime legislation and creating a new offence of stirring up hatred against protected characteristics.

However, women have not been given protection under the law, with the Scottish Government instead promising to bring forward legislation to tackle misogyny.

But with the new Act giving protection to transgender people, Rowling, who does not believe people can change their gender, insisted: “Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal.”

In a social media post, the writer argued: “It is impossible to accurately describe or tackle the reality of violence and sexual violence committed against women and girls, or address the current assault on women’s and girls’ rights, unless we are allowed to call a man a man.”

Criticising the new laws, she insisted that the “legislation is wide open to abuse by activists who wish to silence those of us speaking out about the dangers of eliminating women’s and girls’ single- sex spaces”.

Rowling added: “I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”

But Humza Yousaf declared he is “very proud” of the new laws, saying they will help protect against a “rising tide” of hatred.

The First Minister also insisted he is “very confident in Police Scotland’s ability in order to implement this legislation in the way it should”.