UK Racial and Religious Hatred Bill Clears Commons

Yesterday, Great Britain's controversial Racial and Religious Hatred Bill moved one step closer to passage. (See prior postings 1, 2). BBC News reported that the House of Commons gave the proposal a vote of 301 to 229 on its third reading, but not before assuring that citizen's arrests for violation of the law would not be permitted. As the Telegraph reported today, many had feared that otherwise people taking offense at comments made at a public meeting could just arrest the speaker. Representatives of many churches, as well as both Conservative and Liberal Democratic politicians oppose the bill that prohibits incitement to religious hatred. They argue it will infringe free speech by prohibiting legitimate discussion of religious beliefs. They also argue that by not defining religion, the law could be used to protect Satanists and other marginal groups. The bill will now move to the House of Lords where its prospects for passage are far more doubtful.