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UK ditches 'insult' crime from Public Order legislation

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Tequila
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15 Jan 2013, 9:46 pm

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'Insulting words' crime ditched

The crime of "insulting" someone through words or behaviour, which once led to the arrest of a student for asking a police officer whether his horse was gay, is to be dropped.

Home Secretary Theresa May confirmed to MPs that the government would not seek to overturn a Lords amendment scrapping the ban.

The director of public prosecutions has said it will not hinder his work.

Excellent news. It's an absolute disgrace that this piece of legislation ever got on the statute book.



ruveyn
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15 Jan 2013, 9:51 pm

Tequila wrote:
Quote:
'Insulting words' crime ditched

The crime of "insulting" someone through words or behaviour, which once led to the arrest of a student for asking a police officer whether his horse was gay, is to be dropped.

Home Secretary Theresa May confirmed to MPs that the government would not seek to overturn a Lords amendment scrapping the ban.

The director of public prosecutions has said it will not hinder his work.

Excellent news. It's an absolute disgrace that this piece of legislation ever got on the statute book.


What you Brits need is the First Amendment.

I am happy to say that U.S. law takes little notice of insult. As long as the insults are not "fighting words" there is no law against uttering or printing or broadcasting them.

ruveyn

ruveyn