By way of Megan Bonar & Katy ScottBBC Scotland News2 April 2024Updated 4 hours agoImage supply, Getty ImagesSocial media feedback made by means of JK Rowling difficult Scotland’s new hate crime regulation don’t seem to be being handled as prison, Police Scotland has mentioned.The Harry Potter creator described a number of transgender girls as males, together with convicted prisoners, trans activists and different public figures.The brand new regulation creates a brand new crime of “stirring up hatred” in terms of safe traits.The power mentioned lawsuits were gained however no motion can be taken.Reacting to the inside track, Ms Rowling posted on X: “I am hoping each and every lady in Scotland who needs to talk up for the truth and significance of organic intercourse might be reassured by means of this announcement, and I accept as true with that each one girls – without reference to profile or monetary manner – might be handled similarly underneath the regulation.”In the event that they move after any lady for merely calling a person a person, I’m going to repeat that lady’s phrases and they are able to fee us each without delay.”Stirring up hatred in line with race, color, nationality or ethnicity used to be already unlawful in Nice Britain underneath the Public Order Act 1986 however is now incorporated within the new regulation.For the reason that regulation got here into impact on Monday Police Scotland has gained greater than 3,000 lawsuits.Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, Katie Neeves accused JK Rowling of “inciting hatred” in opposition to herKatie Neeves, a trans lady who used to be appointed a UN Girls UK delegate, used to be discussed by means of Ms Rowling in a prior thread on X.The creator claimed Ms Neeves “switched from directly guy to lesbian on the age of 48”.Ms Neeves advised BBC Information she used to be “very disillusioned” with Police Scotland. She mentioned: “JK Rowling is a bully and this act used to be designed to forestall bullying, and if they are now not going to put into effect it then that is very disappointing.””She indexed me and a few different trans other people together with some intercourse offenders and put it out to fourteen million of her fans. “That used to be inciting hatred and it ended in me receiving hundreds of messages of hate. So it is accomplished what she set out for it to do.”Ms Neeves mentioned the tale were printed everywhere the arena and used to be “all incorrect information about me”. She added: “It is terrible and it is in point of fact damaging.”Ms Neeves additionally showed she can be creating a criticism to the police however had now not accomplished so but. Symbol caption, Graffiti that includes a racial slur used to be visual close to the primary minister’s homePrime Minister Rishi Sunak previous subsidized Ms Rowling’s stance mentioning the United Kingdom had a proud custom of loose speech.Mr Sunak would now not be drawn on whether or not he supported her method, pronouncing that it used to be “now not proper for me to touch upon police issues, person issues”.However he added: “We must now not be criminalising other people pronouncing not unusual sense issues about organic intercourse, obviously that is not proper.”We’ve got a proud custom of loose speech.”Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf mentioned racist graffiti, which seemed close to his house, is a reminder of why Scotland should take a “zero-tolerance” way to hate crime.He mentioned the regulation used to be designed to handle what he known as a “emerging tide of hatred” in society.A spokesperson for the primary minister mentioned: “The high minister’s feedback forget about the truth that the suitable to freedom of expression is constructed into the Act and that it additionally has a prime threshold for illegal activity. “The law does now not save you other people expressing arguable, difficult or offensive perspectives, nor does it search to stifle grievance or rigorous debate in anyway.”Police Scotland mentioned a big share of the lawsuits it had gained involved a speech made by means of Mr Yousaf in 2020 when, as justice secretary, he highlighted the selection of white other people maintaining distinguished positions in Scotland.The power mentioned lawsuits concerning the speech have been assessed on the time and it used to be established that no crime were dedicated.The regulation states that this can be a defence for an individual charged with stirring up hatred to turn that their movements have been “cheap.”It additionally references the suitable to freedom of expression within the Eu Conference on Human Rights, which incorporates coverage for “concepts that offend, surprise or disturb.”On the center of grievance of the detest crime regulation is the truth that it does now not come with organic intercourse as a safe feature.The Scottish executive issues out that it’s making plans a separate regulation to take on hatred and harassment of girls which it says might be offered at Holyrood by means of the top of the parliamentary time period in 2026.’Nice aid’Supporters of Ms Rowling welcomed Police Scotland’s resolution.Susan Smith of For Girls Scotland, which campaigned in opposition to fresh proposed adjustments to gender regulation, advised the BBC’s Newscast podcast that it used to be “an excellent aid however it is only took place as a result of she driven it”.”Now confidently anyone else who says one thing equivalent will know that they’re safe,” added Ms Smith.Previous, Dr Nick McKerrell, a senior regulation lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian College, advised BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime he concept it used to be not going that Ms Rowling can be prosecuted. He advised the programme: “On stability I believe she most likely may not be prosecuted since the take a look at within the law states that it’s important to be threatening and abusive to anyone together with your language which necessarily implies that it’s important to motive them worry and alarm.”I believe it is just about the brink however I do not believe, because it stands, the ones communications do this. “Additionally, throughout the regulation, there’s a coverage for being offensive or surprising for your language and I believe it might fall into that class of being offensive and surprising, however now not within the realm of illegal activity.”The lecturer added: “There’s a take a look at for stirring up hatred, which the courts have recognised. It is reasonably a prime stage to fire up hatred.”So any staff that thinks this regulation goes to decrease this is improper.”
