Despite the title, as readers will be aware, we discourage insults being thrown around on VB, so please bear that in mind when commenting. This in from Andrew Turner’s office, in their own words. Ed
Last year Mr Turner was one of 65 MPs who put forward a parliamentary amendment to the Protection of Freedoms Bill aiming to protect individuals against being prosecuted for ‘insulting’ behaviour.
The amendment did not become law, but the show of strength by MPs and the amount of support it attracted from a large number of people persuaded the Government to hold a public consultation on the issue.
Campaign to remove ‘insulting’ from Public Order Act
Andrew Turner, the Island’s MP is now joining forces with the former Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis MP, and other MPs and organisations to campaign to remove the word ‘insulting’ from Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.
Section 5 makes it an offence to use ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or to display ‘any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting’ within the hearing or sight of a person ‘likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby’.
System should not be used for hurt feelings
The Reform Section 5 group wants the public protected against unjust discrimination, incitement or violence – but doesn’t believe that the police and courts should be used to protect people from having their feelings hurt.
Reform Section 5 has also attracted support from a range of organisations who believe in free speech. The campaign has been put together because the law is being used prevent people from voicing honestly-held opinions, stifle free speech or even crack jokes. Some extreme examples include :
- Harry Hammond, an elderly, Bournemouth street preacher who was convicted and fined £300 plus £395 court costs for holding up a sign saying: ‘Jesus Gives Peace, Jesus is Alive, Stop Immorality, Stop Homosexuality, Stop Lesbianism, Jesus is Lord’. He was assaulted by some members of the public, none of whom were punished.
- Kyle Little, a teenager who woofed and growled at two Labrador dogs, he was fined £50 with £150 costs. The police and magistrates’ court ruled that the dogs’ owner had been insulted, even though he thought the boy was just ‘messing about’. The conviction was eventually overturned in the Crown Court, at a cost to the taxpayer of £8,000.
Shouldn’t be illegal
Mr Turner said, “It’s not nice to insult people, but it shouldn’t be illegal. It was a great pity that our amendment last year didn’t get enough support to be passed, but it gave rise to a public consultation and I am hopeful that the Government will listen to the strength of the arguments.
“This is a cross-party campaign and is truly a broad church – having support both from The Christian Institute and The National Secular Society. I hope supporters of free speech will sign up to the campaign at www.reformsection5.org.uk and use the ‘Get Involved’ page to send the Home Secretary their views.
“There have been some daft prosecutions using this 26-year-old law which have received widespread publicity; and there is now a growing awareness that it is possible to be prosecuted for speaking your mind. In some cases, such as that of Kyle Little, it has been the police and the courts that have decided that somebody has been insulted, even when they say they haven’t. It is the law rather than the teenager that is ‘barking’.”
Image: Ander Ljundberg under CC BY 2.0
