House of Lords Votes To Amend Religious Hatred Bill

In Britain on Tuesday, according to the London Telegraph and the Times, the House of Lords voted 260- 111 in favor of an amendment to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. (See prior posting.) The amendment would require the prosecution to prove intent before a conviction could be obtained. It would also introduce a general "freedom of expression" defense making it clear that merely exposing a religion to ridicule, insult or abuse would not constitute an offence. Lady Scotland suggested that the Home Office would seek to compromise on the bill. Here is Ekklesia's report opposing the original bill, Rethinking Hate Speech, Blasphemy and Free Expression.