Changes Urged to Religious Hate Bill

January 30, 2006

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4660894.stm

On January 30, 2006 BBC News reported, "A coalition of politicians, writers and artists is trying to persuade ministers to accept changes made by peers to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill. Demonstrators are expected outside Parliament when the bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday after being substantially amended in the Lords. Peers voted to restrict terms of the bill to threatening words or behaviour. But ministers want it to include insults and abuse, which critics say could unfairly target comedians. At a press conference on Monday, comedian Rowan Atkinson, who has been a prominent critic of the bill, said: 'No one deserves a right to freedom from criticism.'"