Senior
Anglican bishops have warned the Government that they have serious
reservations about the abolition of the blasphemy laws.
Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu say in a letter today that the
Government should not lightly change laws that, though their day-to-day
importance may be small...BUT...nevertheless carry a
significant symbolic charge.
While not opposing abolition, they urge caution and question why
the Government is pushing through the change now.
The abolition of blasphemy from the statute books moved closer this week
with the tabling of a Government amendment in the House of Lords. The
Bill is scheduled for debate on Wednesday.
The Government had promised in January that this would take place after
a “short and sharp” consultation with the churches.
In a letter to Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, the Archbishops say
that the pressing need for repeal is not clear and plead for more
time to to assess the impact of the new offence of incitement to
religious hatred.
They call on the Government to be clear why the offences are being
abolished and to spell out what the implications are for Christianity in
relation to State and society: At a time of continuing debate about
the nature of our society and its values, this change needs to be seen
for what it is, namely the removal of what has long been recognised as
unsatisfactory and not very workable offences in circumstances in which
scurrilous attacks on the Christian religion no longer threaten the
fabric of society. It should not be capable of interpretation as a
secularising move, or as a general licence to attack or insult religious
beliefs and believers.
From the National Secular Society
The
Government amendment this week comes at a considerably earlier stage
than had been expected as it is very unlikely that the consultation has
been completed.
What appears to have happened is that the Government has been panicked
into tabling its own amendment following a near identical one being
tabled by Lord Avebury. Lord Avebury is a long-time secular campaigner.
The Government is determined that changes to blasphemy are made through
their amendments, to give the appearance that they are in control.
See
full article
from Parliament
A
few of the Criminal Injustice Bill amendments knocking around
BARONESS ANDREWS
144B* Insert the following new Clause—
"Blasphemy and blasphemous libel
(1) The offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel under the common law
of England and Wales are abolished.
(2) In section 1 of the Criminal Libel Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4 c.
8) (orders for seizure of copies of blasphemous or seditious libel) the
words "any blasphemous libel, or" are omitted.
(3) In sections 3 and 4 of the Law of Libel Amendment Act 1888 (c. 64)
(privileged matters) the words "blasphemous or" are omitted.
(4) Subsections (2) and (3) (and the related repeals in Schedule 38)
extend to England and Wales only."
EARL OF ONSLOW
BARONESS STERN
145 Insert the following new Clause—
"Blasphemy
The offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel are abolished."
LORD AVEBURY
148 Insert the following new Clause—
"Abolition of certain religious offences
(1) The following offences are abolished—
(a) blasphemy and blasphemous libel;
(b) any distinct offence of disturbing a religious service or religious
devotions;
(c) any religious offence of striking a person in a church or
churchyard.
(2) The following provisions are repealed—
(a) in section 1 of the Criminal Libel Act 1819 (60 Geo. 3 & 1 Geo. 4 c.
8), the words "blasphemous libel, or";
(b) in sections 3 and 4 of the Law of Libel Amendment Act 1888 (c. 64),
the words "blasphemous or";
(c) section 59 of the Cemeteries Clauses Act 1847 (c. 65);
(d) section 2 of the Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act 1860 (c.
32);
(e) section 36 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 (c. 100);
(f) section 7 of the Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880 (c. 41)."
|