Jacob Mchangama, Director of Justitia The Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Bill flouts international human rights law and poses a “dire risk” to freedom of expression”, according […]
Category: News
A catalogue of concerns
It’s rare for a piece of legislation to unite disparate groups and individuals in mutual concern, but we’ve seen exactly this with the Hate Crime […]
First Minister responds to Hate Crime Bill concerns
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has responded to concerns that the Hate Crime Bill threatens free speech. During First Minister’s Questions today, Labour MSP James Kelly […]
Free to Disagree letter to the Justice Secretary
Friday 21 August 2020 Dear Mr Yousaf, We don’t doubt the Government’s good intentions in bringing forward the Hate Crime Bill. It’s an awful thing […]
Scot Gov exams contrition was welcome – it’s time for the same on the Hate Crime bill
COMMENT: Jamie Gillies, spokesman for the Free to Disagree campaign In recent days, newspaper headlines have been dominated by the exam results fiasco. On Tuesday […]
Hong Kong, free speech and the Hate Crime bill
This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, 16 August 2020 The people of Hong Kong are experiencing an unprecedented assault on their democratic […]
Justice Committee call for views: our response
Read Free to Disagree’s response to the Justice Committee’s call for views on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill here.
Free speech is under attack – we must work together to defend it
Jamie Gillies, spokesman for the Free to Disagree campaign There is mounting concern these days about the erosion of free speech, a fundamental right in […]
We must be free to disagree, but Holyrood threatens to take us down an alternative, draconian path
Stephen Evans, CEO of the National Secular Society Freedom of expression is a fundamental building block of a free society. It drives inclusivity, equality and […]
Scot Gov’s hate crime proposals would have a deadening effect on intellectual life
Jim Sillars, former Deputy Leader of the SNP Legislation concerning thought and speech always raises questions of great importance to society. Is there a presumption […]
Hate crime bill threatens historic freedoms
Jamie Gillies, spokesman for the Free to Disagree campaign Today marks 230 years since the death of Adam Smith, the great Scottish Enlightenment thinker whose […]
Introducing the Free to Disagree campaign
The Scotland we know and love today is built on free speech.
It upholds our free press, our artistic and cultural institutions and our politics…
