Hate crimes and incitement to violence are inexcusable. We have robust legislation in place to address threatening, abusive, or harassing behaviour, as well as incitement to hatred on the grounds of race, religion, and sexual orientation.
The Government is absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. Our legislation values free speech and enables people who wish to engage in debate to do so. However, freedom of expression is a qualified right and can be restricted in certain situations, including where it is used as an excuse to cause harm or spread hatred.
We keep this legislative framework under review to ensure it remains effective in tackling hate crime and protecting communities whilst also upholding the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The Government will always work with Policing to ensure that the criminal law supports the common-sense approach we all want to see being taken. The Home Office stands ready to consider the proposals for change currently being developed by the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
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