My Lords, I shall not interrupt again, but I would like a clear answer to this point. The noble Lord, like his colleagues, repeatedly says that the Bill is about attacking groups of people and not beliefs. In new Section 17A, ““religious hatred”” is defined as,"““hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief””."
If I say, ““I hate that group of people; I hate them; and I hate them because I hate their adherence to a religion that is evil and whose practices are evil””, it seems to me that I must be guilty of an offence. My hatred of the group of persons and my hatred of their beliefs, as the noble Lord, Lord Plant, pointed out, are rolled up together. Why does not the Bill catch that kind of very intemperate criticism of the beliefs linked with the group? I do not understand how it fails to do so.
Racial and Religious Hatred Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Lester of Herne Hill
(Liberal Democrat)
in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 11 October 2005.
It occurred during Debate on bills on Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.
About this proceeding contribution
Reference
674 c276 Session
2005-06Chamber / Committee
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