Freedom of Expression Inquiry (UK) - Deadline Sunday 3 January 2021

[NonnyMouse1337]

The Joint Committee on Human Rights is calling for written evidence on the issue of Freedom of Expression.

committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/307/freedom-of-expression/

Deadline Sunday 3 January 2021

The inquiry will focus on the following questions:

• Does hate speech law need to be updated or clarified as shifting social attitudes lead some to consider commonly held views hateful?

• Does current police guidance and practice on hate speech law help promote freedom of expression?

• Is there a need to review the wording and application of Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) legislation?

• What obligations does an employee have to their employer when expressing views on social media, and to what extent can, and should, employers respond to what their employees say on these platforms?

• Is greater clarity required to ensure the law is understood and fair?

• How has the situation changed in universities in the two years since the Committee’s report on the issue?

• Does everyone have equal protection of their right to freedom of expression?

Really important that we get plenty of submissions on this. Do we know of any organisations publishing guidance on this? Fair Cop?

Oh ffs. I swear, I'm going to end up working part time to fit in researching and filling out consultations for a hyperactively consulting govt to resist women's rights, freedom of speech, basic essentials like that, being ripped away while I'm not looking. I'm tired by all this, I worry I'm going to miss one, it should not be this fucking hard to be female in a just about hanging on by its fingernails democracy.

Thanks OP, another very important one to add to the list.

I feel exactly the same Michelle!

A food find Nonny another to add to the list. When will it end?!

I definitely feel like I have a second job with all these consultations and inquiries to keep track of. 😭

I am so jaded and cynical now that I believe the aim of the avalanche of consultations and enquiries is precisely to make us too tired or fed up to respond and then they can just say "Ooh look no-one bothered to say anything so we'll just do as we like and when they complain we can just say well, we did ask you but you couldn't be bothered to respond so tough, too late." They are also well aware that the Lobby Groups with a vested interest have a distinct advantage as they have the staff and time.

It won't end, they are determined to wear us down into submission and then blame us for submitting.

Freedom of expression has never been more under threat, it seems.

This is really important. Harriet Harman is the chair and its joint Parliament and the Lords. They raised concerns about universities before so I'm glad they're following up.

I am so jaded and cynical now that I believe the aim of the avalanche of consultations and enquiries is precisely to make us too tired or fed up to respond and then they can just say "Ooh look no-one bothered to say anything so we'll just do as we like and when they complain we can just say well, we did ask you but you couldn't be bothered to respond so tough, too late.

I'm inclined to agree. Remember that with the GRA consultation they claimed that the earlier LGBT consultation had been used to set the parameters I think and based on that, framed it that they were only interested in how to improve the process for trans people.

Gritting teeth and getting on with it. No we shouldn't have to do this but at least we are consulted and that is great for democracy.

The positive of this and something to give you heart, is that politicians have noticed what;s going on.

I did two yesterday, hate crime (very important) and GRA consultation which I made a mess of but submitted anyway. take heart and have another or, if you're really desperate

I'm trying to see it as the government's way of enabling women, who they know are silenced, to send thousands and thousands of accounts that they can use as evidence. That's the only way that makes sitting in front of the laptop screen for hour after hour trying to reduce a book's-worth of thoughts and experiences to 2000 readable words.

Gahhhhhhhhhh. The trouble is that most people just don't have te time to respond to these endless public consultations. How about govt researchers who are actually paid to do this do some asking and reading and looking at of things?

Sorry, thanks for sharing, Nonny, apprciate it. Will add it to the list.

I made a gender critical comment on a Facebook page this week and had hundreds of responses. I was called a T**F, old, stupid, hateful, a bad feminist, repeatedly told to fuck off... I had to block notifications because it went mad, I have no idea if I received any threats but it felt very intimidating.

I hope this consultation does something to stop the flood of abuse for people expressing opinions.

Wrongside, I hope you're going to write that up, including some screenshots of the hundreds of responses calling you names, and then submit it. You could have it done and submitted by this afternoon. It's important that they see thatchy have loads of evidence that people are under the cosh for saying what the majority in this country think but daren't say. This is how terrible things happen in society — when people are too scared to say what they think.

I watched the debate in Scotland last week and what I'd forgotten was that 'hate' used to be attached to a crime as an extra component. I'd forgotten it because there is so much urging to report hate crimes in terms of offence felt. So if someone beat someone else up while yelling racist or homophobic or anti-Jewish etc insults while doing it, the extra hate component was added to the crime of beating them up and added to the heinousness of the crime. Whereas now there is no crime (see Harry Miller or Sarah Phillimore) just someone claiming that they feel offended. We need to get back to the original concept of a hate crime, where a crime is committed and there is a hate element, rather than drown the police and courts in vexatious cases where someone insists that because you don't agree with them you've committed a hate crime.

Shedbuilder I hadn't thought of taking screenshots - thank you. I shall do that.

No idea where 'thatchy' came from: damn autocucumber again.

Bumping

Thanks for the reminder :)