Closed doors and closing down debate: policy capture in the Hate Crime Bill (March 2021)

The Stage 3 debate on the Hate Crime and Public Order Bill will take place in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 10 March. The Bill has had an exceptionally difficult passage to date, prompting criticism from a range of organisations,…

The thin blue line: What inadequate protection for freedom of expression means in practice (March 2021)

This blog summarises why the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill needs to provide clearer protection for freedom of expression than is currently proposed by the Scottish Government. Some commentators have suggested that the Bill will criminalise making basic…

Freedom of expression protection in the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill: the doors are still closed (February 2021)

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill extends the existing offence of "stirring up hatred" in relation to race, to a wider range of characteristics. As described here, the Justice Committee agreed with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on…