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Commons Passes Criminal Justice Bill; Debates Hate Speech and Blasphemy

By Howard Friedman

On Wednesday in Britain's House of Commons the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill went through its Third Reading after members dealt with two different amendments relating to the expression of religious views. According to Catholic Online today, the government defeated an attempt to amend the ban on incitement to hatred of homosexuals. The amendment was drafted by arms of the Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Church of England which feared that the ban could lead to police harassment of religious leaders who criticize homosexual behavior. However Maria Eagle, undersecretary of state for justice, assured Parliament that "proper guidance and training" would prevent overzealous policing.

Meanwhile, as previously reported, inserting a provision to repeal of Britain's blasphemy laws was postponed pending the government's consultation with the Church of England. While the Church of England is open to the idea of repeal (Guardian, Jan. 10), Britain's Evangelical Alliance is more skeptical, calling for broader consultations. Friday's Christian Today quotes Dr. Don Horrocks, Head of Public Affairs at the Evangelical Alliance: "When Parliament prioritises the abolition of legislation it is not a neutral act. It sends out a signal to society about what values it considers to be important. In this case the message suggests that there is no longer a place for respect for the sacred in society."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 11, 2008 (boomark / email).