Hate Crime Bill passes stage 1
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill has passed its first stage in the Scottish Parliament by 91 votes to 29.
Conservative MSPs voted against the controversial bill, but other opposition parties supported it following commitments by Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf to remove or amend its most contentious provisions (click here for news item).
During the debate Mr Yousaf described hate crime as a "constant threat" to society and said victims must be protected. He was open minded about further amendments, and the Government had shown "great willingness" to compromise and address concerns.
He commented: "It does not have to be a binary choice between freedom of expression and ensuring we have strong hate crime laws that afford protection to people who are often the target of hate – it is not one or the other."
Conservative justice spokesperson Liam Kerr said "mere tinkering" with the bill was not enough. The bill was a "dangerous and shoddy law" that "does not get the balance right and as drafted could criminalise that which other people find offensive or disrespectful".
Labour's Rhoda Grant said her party had "real concerns about the way the bill has been drafted", and called on Mr Yousaf to go further to meet the concerns expressed.
The Greens' John Finnie said there was "still a way to go on some aspects", and for the Liberal Democrats, Liam McArthur observed that Mr Yousaf had "recognised the hole he had dug and sought a ladder rather than a shovel".