Hate laws could be altered to allay fears

CONTROVERSIAL hate crime proposals could be overhauled to “listen to concerns” that new laws may threaten freedom of speech.

Nicola Sturgeon announced that the hate crime bill will continue along with six other existing pieces of legislation that will be considered by Holyrood before next May’s election.

The new laws would expand “stirring up” of hate rules, which already cover racism to cover a host of other characteristics. But the plans have faced criticism from a range of voices.

Ms Sturgeon was quizzed about the proposals by Scottish

Tory justice spokesperson, Liam Kerr, who called on the Scottish Government to bin the new laws.

He said: “The hate crime bill has been criticised by amongst others, the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Police Federation and several cultural figures as a threat to freedom of speech.

“Will the First Minister listen to these criticisms and withdraw and re-think the hate crime bill that so many have spoken out against?”

Ms Sturgeon said: “i think the right thing to do is to listen to concerns, to go through the committee scrutiny process and if there are amendments we need to make to reassure people who have legitimate concerns, we certainly give an undertaking to do that.

“We hear these concerns and we want to navigate a way through this bill that does what we want to do around hate crime but doesn’t leave people thinking the legitimate right to freedom of speech is being compromised.”