Andrew Doyle takes aim at SNP

[BovaryX]

Andrew Doyle writing in the Spectator takes aim at the new hate speech legislation in Scotland. He says the SNP regards the term 'nanny state' not as a criticism, but an aspiration. Apparently even actors performing plays will be in the crosshairs of these potentially paralysing laws, which are worded so vaguely and so open to subjective interpretation, anyone could fall foul of them. In Orwellian fashion, the Justice secretary claims they don't threaten freedom of speech, but protect it....

www.spectator.co.uk/article/could-possession-of-the-bible-become-an-offence-in-scotland

Truly awful bill.

protected groups (defined by age, disability, racial or ethnic identity, sexual orientation, transgender identity or ‘variations in sex characteristics’)

So women aren’t a protected group? No change there, then. Or are we a “variation in sex characteristics”?

Since women are not included in protected group, it seems misogynistic hate is not covered. As for 'variations in sex characteristics' what does that mean?

It is very badly drafted. It is vague and waffling and the crime depends on the subjective assessment of the victim.

Andrew Doyle is correct about Part 4.

Part 2 makes it an offence to posses inflammatory material and allows for powers of entry for forfeiture and disposal.

This could mean for example raids on bookshops if it had been in force when The Satanic Verses was published. In fact given the level of outrage from certain parts of the Muslim community at that time the police would have had to take action.

@BovaryX

Since women are not included in protected group, it seems misogynistic hate is not covered. As for 'variations in sex characteristics' what does that mean?

There was some waffle from the Scottish Government that misogyny will be dealt with separately at a later date.

There was some waffle from the Scottish Government that misogyny will be dealt with separately at a later date.

Don't think I believe that

Variation on sex characteristics just seems to suggest we are protected from hateful mockery if we are smaller than an A cup or larger than a DD, surely?

Dido
The vagueness and subjectivity of the wording surely means this is open to malicious use? I wonder how it will work? There is an entire section on plays. How does theatre survive?

@BovaryX

Dido The vagueness and subjectivity of the wording surely means this is open to malicious use? I wonder how it will work? There is an entire section on plays. How does theatre survive?

Plays are dealt with in section 4 (not Part 4 as mentioned in my earlier post) of Part 2.

Section 4 would make the actor and director both culpable.

I have no idea what section 4(1)(b)(ii) means where it says the offence can be committed by a performer and the commission of the offence is attributable to neglect on the part of the performer.

This is the SNP all over. Obsessed with control, propaganda and woke virtue signalling to emphasise difference from England, but absolutely useless at running a country. They should be focusing on their failures in education, health and the economy, not this crap.

@BovaryX

Since women are not included in protected group, it seems misogynistic hate is not covered. As for 'variations in sex characteristics' what does that mean?

It means trans ideologists tried to appropriate disorders of sexual development.

The vagueness and subjectivity of the wording surely means this is open to malicious use?

That point has not been missed by the Scottish Police Federation (who are now therefore presumably a hate organisation): www.heraldscotland.com/news/18612640.police-union-warns-snp-hate-crime-bill-will-paralyse-freedom-speech/

No government will never dare make misogyny a crime; there are far too many of us women and men's hatred of women goes much wider and deeper than we like to acknowledge. The police and justice system would be overwhelmed in the first week.

Ever, not never. Curse of the double negative!

I don't want to live in Scotland anymore because of this stuff. It's so woman-hating here. I feel like I live in the wokest town in the world and it's miserable.

Aesop
Ah, that makes sense re appropriation of sexual development disorders. I am not surprised the Scottish Police Federation are concerned, how will this be enforced given the subjectivity and ambiguity of the language?
Nearlygranny
Yes, if misogyny was included, the entire apparatus of the judicial system would be permanently overwhelmed.

and the commission of the offence is attributable to neglect on the part of the performer

Dido
How bizarre. So presumably the 'neglect' refers to failure to censor the words of a playwright as the actor in the 'problematic' role? How many directors will just choose to stick to a rigid, woke endorsed canon?

This could mean for example raids on bookshops if it had been in force when The Satanic Verses was published. In fact given the level of outrage from certain parts of the Muslim community at that time the police would have had to take action.

I had to evacuate a library after bomb threats over Satanic Verses. I would have staffed that library single handed rather than remove it. I just can't believe the turn the West has taken and the lack of outrage about the loss of one of the foundation stones of freedom.

I think they've said they'll consider adding misogyny later - always jam tomorrow for women.

Yes because censoring plays is always the start of a wonderful open society and not in any way facist at all.

The SNP are beyond parody now, looking at their actions in any historical context from any culture and this is actually pretty terrifying.

It is terrifying indeed. And most people are either utterly unaware of the existence of this bill (covid is a bit distracting) or seem to think that any opposition to it is RIGhTWiNgDogWHiStle from horrible bigotty people. I expect that's because any vaguely left-of-centre media is tiptoeing around the issue if reporting on it at all.

I very much hope that it is booted far, far away. One would have thought that the long list of organisations opposing it -

(Taken from wingsoverscotland.com/the-cabaret-voltaire/):

The Scottish Police Federation (representing rank-and-file officers)

The Law Society Of Scotland

The Faculty Of Advocates (trade body of Scotland’s most senior lawyers)

Scottish PEN (authors’ free-speech advocacy group)

The Free Speech Union

Free To Disagree (free speech advocacy group)

The Catholic Church

The Free Church Of Scotland

The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

The Orange Order

Call It Out (Irish/Catholic pressure group)

The Christian Institute

The National Secular Society

Humanist Society Scotland

Murray Blackburn Mackenzie (feminist policy thinktank)

Woman’s Place UK (feminist group)

ForWomen.Scot (feminist group)

LGB Alliance (lesbian, gay and bisexual rights group)

The Scottish Newspaper Society

The News Media Association

The Society Of Editors

Andrew Tickell (SNP member, law lecturer and columnist for The National)

Stephen Daisley (columnist for the Daily Mail)

Andrew Tettenborn (Chair in Law, Swansea University)

Academics For Academic Freedom

Jim Sillars (former SNP deputy leader)

(We should also note for completeness the opposition of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives, though as they reflexively oppose pretty much everything the Scottish Government does that carries rather less noteworthiness.)

• would demonstrate the wide-ranging opposition and madness of the bill as proposed.

But if everything goes very, very quiet in Scotland all of a sudden, I suppose you can presume anyone who has ever used any triggering dogwhistle kind of speech (that is to say, anyone at all that says anything at all) has been bagged, kidnapped and whisked off to a gulag on the Hebrides.

Maybe we could work on some kind of distress signal?

The Edinburgh Fringe festival may never be the same again.

I haven’t waded through it , but what impact will it have on online stuff? The Feminism board here is already strait-jacketed to appease the woke brigade. Will Justine et al have to go even further in case something someone seems offensive is posted or read in Scotland ?

@334bu

Truly awful bill.

What is the background of the bill - who is ultimately behind it?

Since women are not included in protected group, it seems misogynistic hate is not covered. As for 'variations in sex characteristics' what does that mean?

I read this as the variations of sex characteristics such as women having penises, men who can chestfeed etc.

I expect that's because any vaguely left-of-centre media is tiptoeing around the issue if reporting on it at all

Scrimshaw
That's interesting. It's another example of the failure of the fourth estate. The list you provided has some impressive objectors. This really is chilling. As other posters have said, it is quite shocking that this is the trajectory of 21st century Western democracies.