I was trying to get in touch with a friend last week, someone in the UK, who often writes about Israel and apartheid. Regardless of my or your thoughts on that subject, my old friend was consistent with his view, and posted daily on fb. It turns out some people were offended by his writing, even though he never swore, and never forced his opinion on anyone, he just wrote his own thoughts.
I managed to get in touch with his wife who told me he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for writing about his displeasure of the situation in Israel and Palestine. The judge apparently claimed it could have been worse, and he could have given him 7 years!
So for writing his thoughts on the middle east, he now gets 5 years of not seeing, raising and supporting his own 3 children, I find this beyond unfair and past insane, why do people vote for these leaches in power is beyond me.
I know they changed the law in 2003 from actual to perceived, to make it easier to find people guilty. I though now needed to find this hate speech nonsense law, and see what they are abusing now.
Hate speech laws in England and Wales are found in several statutes. Expressions of hatred toward someone on account of that person's colour, race, disability, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origin, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation is forbidden. Any communication which is threatening or abusive, and is intended to harass, alarm, or distress someone is forbidden. The penalties for hate speech include fines, imprisonment, or both.
Statutes
In England and Wales and Scotland the Public Order Act 1986 prohibits, by its Part 3, expressions of racial hatred, which is defined as hatred against a group of persons by reason of the group's colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins. Section 18 of the Act says:
A person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, is guilty of an offence if—
(a) he intends thereby to stir up racial hatred, or
(b) having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby.
Offences under Part 3 carry a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment or a fine or both.[8]
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 inserted Section 4A into the Public Order Act 1986. That part prohibits anyone from causing alarm or distress. Section 4A states, in part:
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if, with intent to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress, he—
(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
thereby causing that or another person harassment, alarm or distress.
...
(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to both.[9]
The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 amended the Public Order Act 1986 by adding Part 3A. That Part says, "A person who uses threatening words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred."
It is clear they have made the system, their system easier to en-prison people, based on someone being offended, as they perceive it. You need nothing of fact, only perception, and as we all at times have perceptual flaws, this is dangerous ground to be treading, one small nudge and they will push people too far, when is that moment? who knows, not long now though!
That part prohibits anyone from causing alarm or distress.
The above is part of that law, what is alarm anyway? The law is confused.