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Last Updated: Friday, 27 January 2006, 15:47 GMT

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Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

AIM

This bill makes it an offence to stir up hatred on religious grounds and amends the law on encouraging racial hatred.

MAIN PROVISIONS

BILL'S PROGRESS

Responsible department: Home Office

Origin: House of Commons

Introduced: 9 June 2005

Second reading: 21 June 2005

Committee stage: 28,29,30 June 2005

Remaining stages: 11 July 2005

Consideration of Lords amendments: 31 Jan 2006

LORDS

First reading: 12 July 2005

Second reading: 11 Oct 2005

Committee stage: 25 Oct 2005

Report stage: 7 Nov 2005

Third reading: 24 Jan 2006

ROYAL ASSENT: 17 Feb 2006

Extends the racial hatred offences in the Public Order Act 1986.

Applies to words or behaviour and the display, publication, broadcast or distribution of words or behaviour that is likely to stir up religious or racial hatred

Applies to believers in any or no religion, both ethnically diverse and mono-ethnic, or where the hatred is against a person or group that does not share the beliefs of the perpetrator

BACKGROUND

Similar provisions were included in the first versions of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill 2001 and the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill 2004/05.

The legislation emanated from the April 2003 report of the House of Lords religious offences committee.

Muslim groups called for this kind of legal protection for their faith, since discrimination against Jews and Sikhs was already covered by existing race hatred laws.

It is in line with the European Commission on Human Rights guarantee of freedom of religion.

Some comedians are concerned that they will be barred from joking about religion, but Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said: "It is about protecting the believer, not the belief."