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350:. Her final post said, "🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉 Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren't women at all, but men, every last one of them." She followed this with her concerns about the act, saying, "It is impossible to accurately describe or tackle the reality of violence and sexual violence committed against women and girls, or address the current assault on women's and girls' rights, unless we are allowed to call a man a man." She concluded by saying, "I'm currently out of the country, but if what I've written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the
366:, explained that "the bar for prosecution, let alone conviction, is high — and I doubt we will see many of either. The problem is more likely to lie in the police being swamped with reports, and what happens in terms of recording" The law will force police to make cuts as staff work overtime to deal with the volume of complaints with the chairman of the Scottish Police Federation saying: "At some point in the next financial year, the police service will not do something because of the demand that it's being placed under now."
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313:, who introduced the law to the Scottish Parliament, violated the act himself when he made an "anti-white" speech before the Scottish Parliament in 2020. Police Scotland received more than 1,000 reports about Yousaf in the first week the act was in effect, but said in a statement that no violation of the act had occurred. Police Scotland were required to record the speech as a "non-criminal hate incident", however, in which Yousaf would be named. In a
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people. Police officers are all too aware that there are individuals in society who believe that to feel insulted or offended is a police matter. The Bill would move even further from policing and criminalising of deeds and acts to the potential policing of what people think or feel, as well as the criminalisation of what is said in private.
361:
On 2 April 2024, Police
Scotland said Rowling's comments on social media "were not criminal and the force will not be taking action." Police Scotland logged more than 3,000 complaints in the first 48 hours of the hate crime law coming into force, saying they would investigate every report made under
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An Act of the
Scottish Parliament to make provision about the aggravation of offences by prejudice; to make provision about an offence of racially aggravated harassment; to make provision about offences relating to stirring up hatred against a group of persons; to abolish the common law offence of
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We are firmly of the view this proposed legislation would see officers policing speech and would devastate the legitimacy of the police in the eyes of the public. That can never be an acceptable outcome – and we should never forget that the police in
Scotland police only with the consent of the
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have reiterated their support for the act. Humza Yousaf defended the act by saying it "absolutely protects people in their freedom of expression" while guarding "people from a rising tide of hatred that we've seen far too often in our society". The act also received support from MSPs from
248:, this offence has applied to racial hatred. The act extends the scope to the following characteristics: age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics sometimes known as being intersex.
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On the first day the law came into force, author J. K. Rowling posted a series of tweets about ten high-profile trans women, including convicted double rapist
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were proposed. The bill passed on 11 March 2021, with 82 votes in favour, 32 votes against, and 4 abstentions. The act came into force on 1 April 2024.
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Supporters of the act maintain the legislation has safeguards to protect freedom of speech. It is also the first act to list age as a characteristic.
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405:. Police Scotland have also pledged to investigate every hate crime complaint they receive. Historically, police forces across the
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302:. Both are concerned over its impact on freedom of speech. The Scottish Police Federation expected numerous complaints over
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and Katie
Dolatowski, "a trans paedophile who sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl in the toilet" of a supermarket in
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633:"The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 (Commencement and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2024"
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334:, Andrew Miller, a trans woman who abducted a young girl in the Scottish Borders while "dressed as a woman",
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interview, Yousaf claimed "I've not seen anybody who's described that way that isn't, frankly, part of the
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said "it's going to be a positive thing for the country". However, other aspects have attracted criticism.
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Upon implementation on 1 April 2024, the act was met with criticism from high-profile celebrities such as
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have attracted scrutiny for the way in which they record hate crimes where no charges are brought.
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defended
Rowling, saying, "People should not be criminalised for stating simple facts on biology."
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said: "I think there has been a lot of misinformation" surrounding the policies of the act.
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The legislation broadens the scope of the existing offence of stirring up hatred. Since the
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community have, on the other hand, stated that the laws are not harsh enough on
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for "expressing her concerns about the impact of trans rights on women". The
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expressed concerns over the threat the bill posed to freedom of expression.
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658:"Humza Yousaf criticises 'disinformation' over new Scottish hate crime law"
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217:. One concern was the potential for the act to be used to prosecute author
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There are fears that the legislation will lead to a strict enforcement of
878:"Police Scotland will not investigate JK Rowling over hate crime law row"
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823:"JK Rowling challenges police: Arrest me under Scottish hate crime law"
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Independent Review of Hate Crime
Legislation in Scotland: Final Report
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767:"JK Rowling dares police to arrest her over SNP's new hate crime law"
515:"New Scottish hate crime laws 'could devastate legitimacy of police'"
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938:"JK Rowling will not face prosecution under Scotland hate crime law"
716:"Hate Crime Bill: Scottish Police Federation launches fierce attack"
213:. The bill was controversial, with opponents saying it could stifle
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The final vote on the bill was delayed by a day after a number of
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444: This article incorporates text published under the British
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The bill has received much criticism even before its passage.
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in April 2020, following an independent review of
Scotland's
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as a characteristic leaves women vulnerable to hate crimes.
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Opponents of the act have claimed
Scottish First Minister
795:"JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law"
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547:"Hate crime vote delayed after marathon Holyrood debate"
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Offences (Aggravation by
Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009
579:"MSPs approve Scotland's controversial hate crime law"
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Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 asp 14
483:"Why is Scotland's Hate Crime Bill so controversial?"
416:. Several feminist groups have argued the absence of
907:"JK Rowling hate law posts not criminal, police say"
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1027:"Scotland's new hate crime law comes into force"
849:Johnson, Simon; Martin, Daniel (1 April 2024).
171:Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021
25:Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021
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191:Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill
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905:Bonar, Megan; Scott, Katy (2 April 2024).
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821:Leask, David; Beal, James (1 April 2024).
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257:Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
255:extended the offence to religion and the
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362:the law. Roddy Dunlop KC, dean of the
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148:History of passage through Parliament
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253:Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
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259:extended it to sexual orientation.
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209:of all hate crime law into one
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1116:. You can help Knowledge by
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392:Despite the opposition, the
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340:Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre
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201:legislation carried out by
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285:commented on the bill:
227:Law Society of Scotland
90:23 April 2021
381:. Some members of the
352:Scottish Enlightenment
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268:prosecuted in Scotland
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193:was introduced to the
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266:, which had not been
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491:. 15 December 2020.
364:Faculty of Advocates
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16:Scottish legislation
697:, 21 September 2020
456:Scottish Government
195:Scottish Parliament
179:Scottish Parliament
42:Scottish Parliament
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375:For Women Scotland
354:." Prime Minister
127:Common law offence
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587:. 11 March 2021.
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459:. 11 March 2021.
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383:transgender
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332:Isla Bryson
1168:Hate crime
1157:Categories
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234:amendments
199:hate crime
185:Background
94:2021-04-23
50:Long title
978:0307-1235
943:The Times
828:The Times
670:0261-3077
344:Kirkcaldy
338:, of the
321:far-right
300:Elon Musk
264:blasphemy
131:blasphemy
1110:Scotland
1059:(2018).
1031:BBC News
912:BBC News
883:ITV News
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675:22 March
638:19 March
617:13 March
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520:BBC News
493:Archived
488:BBC News
461:Archived
401:and the
316:HARDTalk
274:Reaction
225:and the
75:Scotland
61:Citation
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983:6 April
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701:15 May
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80:Dates
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1067:ISBN
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