MISGENDERING people or asserting that biological sex is a reality are “not and never can be a hate crime” under new legislation set to come into force in Scotland – despite media reports to the contrary, a law expert and former Tory MSP has asserted.
He wrote: “The act specifies that ‘discussion or criticism’ of matters relating to sexual orientation, transgender identity, age or disability, is not to be taken as threatening or abusive. Tomkins explains that some of the key pillars of the new law, such as its provision criminalising the “stirring up of hatred”, have been around for decades.
“One of the things the new Hate Crime Act does is to bring that anomaly to an end. In doing so, however, the new law extends Scots criminal law beyond the English offences. From April 1 it won’t just be race, religion and sexual orientation that are covered: it will be age, disability and transgender identity, too.
“Contrary to what’s been asserted last week, the Act does not say that offences are aggravated by hatred just because the victim feels that way.”We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
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Source: Daily_Record - 🏆 9. / 89 Read more »