Bill could make a bad situation worse

The Scottish Government has published statistics that detail the number of religious hate crimes across Scotland.

Scottish Conservative Justice Spokesman David McLetchie said:

"This data shows that sectarianism is a constant thorn in Scotland's side. Although the number of recorded incidents has risen over the last 4 years, it was even higher 5 years ago.

"That is why more action is needed, not least by changing attitudes in the small but odious sections of society which think that bigotry can go unchallenged. The case for new laws remains unproven and the Bill has been severely and rightly criticised from many quarters.

"Amendments have been tabled by the Scottish Conservatives for consideration at Stage 2 which endeavour to bring balance and clarity to the proposed legislation and to address sectarian behaviour in all its forms in Scotland directly on the face of the Bill. Without this clarity the Bill runs the risk of making a bad situation worse."

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