Reform Section 5 campaigners protest outside Parliament
Posted on 1st, September 2012
Christians, secularists and gay rights activists battled the rain as well as the law yesterday to protest outside parliament to reform Section 5 of the 1986 Public Order Act. The determined crowd carried black and white placards printed with phrases. Each statement duplicated an “insult”, for which members of the public have already been arrested […]
Government under mounting pressure to axe “anti free speech” law
Posted on 7th, July 2012
The Government is under mounting pressure to axe “insults” from Section 5 following a debate in the House of Lords. Lord Mawhinney, the former Tory Party Chairman who forced the debate, told the Government there was broad opposition to Section 5 in its current form. “There is a widespread opposition to the continued inclusion of […]
New: Deputy Prime Minister backs calls to Reform Section 5
Posted on 2nd, July 2012
Monday 2nd July The Sunday Times has reported that the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has added his personal support to our campaign to Reform Section 5. The article, which took over all of page 10, can be viewed online (behind the pay-wall) HERE. Marie Woolf, Sunday Times Whitehall Editor, writes that Government sources said […]
Pensioner threatened with arrest for calling religion “fairy stories”
Posted on 19th, June 2012
June 19, 2012 A pensioner who had a sign in his window saying “religions are fairy stories for adults” has been threatened with arrest under controversial Section 5 of the Public Order Act. Lincolnshire pensioner, John Richards, was told by officers that he may face arrest if he puts up the sign at his home, […]
Britain needs more free speech. Change this law now.
Posted on 7th, June 2012
Britain needs more free speech. Change this law now.
Timothy Garton Ash, The Guardian
‘In a democratic society you should have the right to call a horse gay’ – former prosecutions chief
Posted on 31st, May 2012
‘In a democratic society you should have the right to call a horse gay’ – former prosecutions chief
London Evening Standard, May 31
Former Director of Public Prosecutions, Lord Macdonald, supports the Reform Section 5 Campaign
Posted on 31st, May 2012
Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Lord Macdonald emphatically threw his weight behind the campaign to reform Section 5 of the Public Order Act. He said: “I think the problem with the word insulting is that it encourages the police and sometimes prosecutors to go after people who are being no more than rude or […]
A message from Simon Calvert of The Christian Institute and Keith Porteous Wood of the National Secular Society
Posted on 23rd, May 2012
A week ago we launched Reform Section 5 with a press conference in the House of Commons. The reaction was exactly what we hoped for: within hours everyone was talking about how ridiculous it is to outlaw insults. The biggest problem we had was finding anyone to disagree with us! Apparently, criminalising insults is pretty […]
Coverage of the Campaign Launch
Posted on 15th, May 2012
How do you insult someone legally?
BBC Magazine
Free speech campaign on Public Order Act and insults
BBC Daily Politics
Lib Dem policy goes viral as ‘Reform Section 5′ campaign launched
Liberal Democrat Voice
Why insults are a political issue
The Guardian
These petty laws are an insult to the public
Spiked
It must be every Englishman’s right to call Prezza a chimp
Quentin Letts
MPs and campaigners unite to oppose law which ‘bans insults’ saying it threatens freedom of speech
Daily Mail
UK law that bans insulting words faces opposition
Times of India
Law banning insulting words and behaviour ‘has to end’
BBC News
This ban on insults is a gag on free speech
Evening Standard, Editorial
Peter Tatchell’s right, we don’t need a law against hurt feelings
The Guardian
Free speech campaigners: ‘Feel free to insult us’
Politics.co.uk
Your horse is gay: MP’s campaign group wants insulting language law scrapped
Evening Standard
Should insulting someone be against the law?
Radio 4 Today Programme
The Mail supports the broad coalition of MPs and religious, secularist and free-speech campaigners calling on the Home Secretary to amend the law.
Daily Mail Comment
Law banning insulting language ‘is strangling free speech’
The Daily Telegraph
Pressure on Home Secretary to improve free speech law
The Christian Institute
Home Secretary under pressure to reform Public Order Act
National Secular Society
Odd allies for Sammy Wilson in fight for the right to be offensive
The Belfast Telegraph
Devon Humanists say reform the Public Order Act to protect Free Speech
This Is Devon
Home Secretary under pressure to reform Public Order Act
Posted on 15th, May 2012
David Davis MP leads cross-party efforts as exclusive poll shows massive Commons backing for reform Human rights campaigners, secularists and faith groups unite in support The launch of a major new campaign will increase the pressure on Home Secretary Theresa May to reform a controversial section of the 1986 Public Order Act, after mounting evidence […]