Joanna Cherry KC, pictured right, warned the force’s plan to maintain records of every reported hate incident on file – even if they don’t amount to a crime – “needs reviewed” and was curbing freedom of speech.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act was passed by MSPs in March 2021 but it has been one of the most controversial pieces of legislation debated by MSPs in the last few years
Cherry was speaking after a Tory MSP threatened legal action against Police Scotland after a tweet he posted criticising the Scottish Government’s gender recognition policy was logged as a hate incident.
Murdo Fraser said the force had ‘behaved not just outrageously, but unlawfully’ after learning that his name appears in police files for expressing a political view.
A trans activist reported the post on X to police whose officers decided it did not amount to a crime but should be classed as a ‘hate incident’ which will remain on record – even though no law had been broken.
Fraser is threatening legal action against the force to have the incident deleted.
Cherry said today: “There’s not much Murdo and I agree about, but we do agree about freedom of speech so I support him fully in this legal action.
So are they saying taking away all our human rights in the mental health act wasn’t controversial.
Police Scotland are a partisan and political police force.
They are short of resources to investigate crime that afflics so many in society but have unlimited resources to pursue political targets.
Scotland’s very own RUC of old!