Campaigners fear a new government censorship policy could see comedians who make jokes about transgender issues hauled in front of a judge. A barrister warned telling jokes about trans people, like Ricky Gervais in his most recent show, could be
criminalised if a new Home Office plan is put in place. The new censorship plan is due to be published shortly, with a Home Office minister saying it will set out steps to increase the reporting of all forms of hate crime -- including hate crimes
targeting sexual orientation or transgender identity. They will see people accused of non crime hate incidents [NCHIs], which are recorded on police systems. It comes after the Court of Appeal ruled that College of Policing guidance telling forces
to record incidents believed to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice against a person as NCHIs violates the European Convention on Human Rights Sarah Phillimore, a barrister from Fair Cop, a group describing itself as a gender critical
organisation of lawyers, police officers and writers, said: It is astonishing that legislators are planning to expand the discredited and unlawful practice of recording non-crime hate incidents [NCHIs].
A Home Office spokesperson responded: These claims are completely wrong - there are no plans to expand recording of non-crime hate incidents, nor will we criminalise comedians or introduce a complaint scheme. Free
speech is a fundamental right and we will always protect it. [clearly not true when the government is introducing its Online Censorship Bill]
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