The debate over non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) is heating up as the House of Lords prepares to vote on whether to abolish the controversial practice. This move comes amid growing concerns about the impact of NCHIs on free speech.
An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill proposing the removal of the statutory basis for NCHIs is on today’s agenda in the House of Lords. Meanwhile, another amendment by Lord Young of Acton aims to go further by completely eliminating the recording of incidents where no crime has occurred.
Lord Young’s proposal, which has the backing of peers such as Lord Hogan-Howe, seeks to erase past NCHIs from records and prevent them from being included in enhanced DBS checks.
Critics argue that NCHIs have a ‘chilling effect’ on freedom of expression, with some individuals, like street preachers, being notably affected. In 2024, Scottish pastor Angus Cameron was awarded £5,500 for unlawful detention by Police Scotland, alongside £9,400 in legal costs after a wrongful arrest related to a ‘hate-crime’ incident. Despite no crime being committed, a non-crime hate incident report was recorded against him, prompting legal action supported by The Christian Institute.
A 2024 The Times newspaper freedom of information request revealed that in the year leading up to June 2024, 13,200 NCHIs were recorded, involving a diverse group including doctors, vicars, and even primary school children.
The government has acknowledged that the current system for recording NCHIs is “not fit for purpose” and is undertaking a review. A new code of practice aimed at bolstering protections for free speech is anticipated.
Simon Calvert, Deputy Director for Public Affairs at The Christian Institute, strongly urged peers to endorse the amendments and abolish NCHIs.
“It’s shocking to think that for years we’ve had a system where Police have been able to record unproven, politically motivated complaints against Christians and others,” he stated.
“These malicious allegations of being ‘hateful’ could seriously impact a person‘s career prospects.
“It’s Orwellian and it’s way past time not only for that system to be abolished but for all of the erroneous information held against innocent people to be deleted.
“The House of Lords has an opportunity to get rid of non-crime hate incident once and for all and I hope they take it.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
