Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill — Hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation — 6 May 2008 at 19:15

The majority of MPs rejected a Lords amendment to insert a clause:

In this Part, for the avoidance of doubt, the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred.

The main problem was that the words "of itself" did not acknowledge the importance of context. The Government undertook to produce guidelines which would have an effect similar to the Lords' intention. Lords Amendment 285 can be found in the List of Lords' Amendments. It modifies Schedule 16 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, which specifies changes to the current definitions of hate crimes in the Public Order Act 1986 (c. 64).

Debate in Parliament | Source |