Scottish member of Parliament responds to 'hate crime' complaint after controversial censorship law enacted

On last night's episode of The Ezra Levant Show, Scottish member of Parliament Neale Hanvey joined the show to discuss the new "hate crime" law that recently took effect in Scotland.

Called the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, the new law seeks to punish those who engage in "threatening or abusive behaviour which is intended to stir up hatred."

The law particularly focuses on "abusive behaviour" towards people on the grounds of sexual orientation, transgender identity, religion, age, and disability status. "Hate crime" allegations can be made anonymously under the new legislation, with no identifiable victim.

Critics of the legislation say it's open to abuse and will stifle free speech and freedom of expression. Proponents of the new law say it's an important measure to protect vulnerable communities.

Scottish member of Parliament Neale Hanvey explained that his office recently received a call from law enforcement who told him he had been reported for a "hate crime" based on an undisclosed post he had published on X.

"This is utterly ridiculous, illiberal, wasteful and unacceptable in a supposedly liberal democracy where political discourse should be free and open," Hanvey posted to X.

So my office got a call from @PoliceScotland today advising me that I had been reported for a Hate Crime based on an undisclosed tweet.

They had assessed the complaint and were notifying me that they were taking no further action as they did not deem it necessary.

Police…

— Neale Hanvey MP ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✊ (@JNHanvey) April 3, 2024

Speaking about the new law, Mr. Hanvey said, "There's a real possibility that members of the public could have a non-crime hate incident recorded against them. And that could potentially impact on their employment, their current employment or indeed any future job that they go for. It's a really concerning issue."

"It all rests on the person who's offended perception, and that is the only test that is required for a non-crime hate incident to be recorded against your name," he added.

Author J.K. Rowling has spoken out strongly in opposition to the new law, saying it's "wide open to abuse by activists."

As reported by Sky News, Rowling also recently said "The re-definition of 'woman' to include every man who declares himself one has already had serious consequences for women's and girls' rights and safety in Scotland, with the strongest impact felt, as ever, by the most vulnerable, including female prisoners and rape survivors."