Government slammed for trying to stifle free speech

Monday, 16 November 2009

A national newspaper columnist has welcomed the retention of a free speech protection in the ‘homophobic hatred’ offence, and criticised the Government for trying to remove it.

Philip Johnston, writing in The Daily Telegraph, said that Lord Waddington’s free speech clause, which makes clear that criticising homosexual conduct is not, in itself, a crime, is a “basic restatement of freedom of expression”.

On Wednesday the House of Lords voted in supoport of the clause by 179 votes to 135. In the House of Commons the next day Justice Secretary Jack Straw accepted the Lords vote.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said the Government was “very disappointed” at this outcome, but Mr Johnston praised it as an “important blow for free speech”. the rest