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Jordan Williams
Free Speech Union
Last week Faafoi told Parliament’s justice select committee that Labour’s proposals to strengthen hate speech laws will not criminalise opinions or the “stupid” things people say unless they stir up hatred towards a particular group.
Bridges asked if the Government wanted to “criminalise offensive, insulting, derogatory speech”.
Faafoi replied that people were clearly entitled to their opinions and to say “stupid things”.
“That is not what we’re going to tackle … but if that incites or stirs up hatred towards a particular group, that is the area we are going to put to the public about what should happen.”
So far, the Government has not been able to indicate what constitutes ‘stirring up hatred’.
Faafoi said public consultation on the proposals would take place “very soon”.
We have repeatedly called for concrete examples of the speech the Government intends to criminalise. This is critical if we are to have robust and honest debate. Without that, we’ll be fighting it with all we’ve got.
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