Police Chiefs Warn Against Potential Weaponization of Scotland’s Hate Law by Activist Fringe
First Minister Humza Yousaf is facing accusations of disregarding warnings from Scottish Police organizations.
Just days before Scotland’s new hate crime law is set to take effect on Monday, police chiefs have cautioned that it may be “weaponized” by an “activist fringe.”
The contentious new law introduces a new offense of “stirring up of hatred” for protected characteristics like “age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender identity,” a move criticized by free speech activists and MSPs.
Police have established designated “Hate Crime Third Party Reporting Centres” at various locations, including housing associations, victim support offices, voluntary groups, and even private businesses like fish farms, caravan parks, and a sex shop in Glasgow.
The Criminal Justice Committee convener reached out to the chief constable, Scottish Police Federation, and Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) for their opinions. Independent policy analyst MurrayBlackburnMackenzie had raised concerns about the law’s potential to allow crimes to be recorded based on the reporting individual’s perception.
“We expressed concerns about thresholds and evidence regarding the new offense of ‘stirring up hatred,'” ASPS stated. They observed a decline in public discourse quality on controversial topics with polarized and entrenched stances, mainly online.
ASPS cautioned that individuals representing the “activist fringe” from various viewpoints might seek to misuse the new legislation and police investigations.
Comedians
ASPS indicated that artists like comedians or theatre actors are unlikely to be targeted by police post-implementation of the law, with enforcement primarily stemming from public reports.
ASPS noted that Scotland currently has its lowest number of police officers in over a decade, and hate crime levels are generally low with rare threats to life involvement.
MurrayBlackburnMackenzie noted the absence of a response from Police Scotland on the Scottish Parliament website.
‘Ignored’
During First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross accused First Minister Humza Yousaf of dismissing police concerns.
Mr. Yousaf stressed the significance of the new offenses related to stirring up hatred and the extension of existing protections to other groups.
In response, Mr. Ross emphasized the importance of police effectiveness in ensuring public protection, highlighting persistent warnings from frontline officers, the Police Federation, and the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents.
The Epoch Times reached out to Police Scotland for comment.
PA Media contributed to this report.
