Scotland is developing a hate crime unit for its police force.
The police unit is anticipated to be ready by November.
The move follows the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, expected to be ratified in 2024.
According to the Act, “an offence is aggravated by prejudice” if the “offence is motivated (wholly or partly) by malice and ill-will towards a group of persons based on the group being defined by reference to a characteristic,” including age, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.
The Act also discusses “stirring up hatred,” where a person “behaves in a manner that a reasonable person would consider to be threatening, abusive or insulting.”
“A person who commits an offence under this section” may face “imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both)” or “on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years or a fine (or both).
Critics of the efforts have voiced concerns that police will be unable to focus on violent crime, instead directed to confront so-called “harmful” speech.
Reporting from Reclaim the Net:
The thought of free speech being stifled by the new laws is particularly horrifying for some, with warnings that women’s rights advocates may find themselves entangled in allegations of transphobia. ... Helen Joyce, part of the human rights group Sex Matters, asserted her alarm at the creation of this specific hate crime unit. She voiced concern for those who stand for the rights of women and children, warning of a “chilling effect” on free speech, as reported by The Scottish Express.
