Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Oh Voltaire, we need you now!

Have a look at this from the Public Order Act 1986, section 5 -
"A person is guilty of an offence if he - (a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour or (b) displays any writing, sign or other visual representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting - within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby."
Given that, as I have often mentioned before, there are people out there who go around looking for things to take exception to, this is a dangerously vague and wide-ranging constraint on the expression of views. It has come to light because of the case of a "street preacher" who was arrested under the provisions of the above section of the Act for saying (correctly) that homosexuality is classified as a sin in the Bible. Whatever your views are on sexual behaviour, is this really a proper use of the Act, and does its use in this way really represent the sort of country we want to live in?

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