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Memorandum from Reverend Nicholas Sykes (CJ&I 229)
I write in response to the consultation on the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, which would make it a criminal offence to 'incite hatred on the grounds of sexuality'. I am writing from an Overseas Territory of Great Britain, the Cayman Islands. There are many citizens of these Islands who are British Citizens, not only (as in some cases) by virtue of having been born in Britain, but by virtue of their standing as British Overseas Territories Citizens and having successfully applied for British Citizenship. In many cases the laws of the Cayman Islands are modelled upon legislation in the United Kingdom, and the basis of British law must always be of great concern and consequence to these Islands.
The introduction of this proposed law is in my view ill advised and poses a considerable danger to freedom of speech and freedom of religion in the nation. Although it is not good to hate another person, it is not a criminal offence to hate somebody - for reason of their sexuality or for any other reason. This law is a step towards 'thought crime', as it outlaws the act of trying to make someone hate something or someone else. It is within the power of the human mind to make necessary discriminations between such things as right and wrong, good and bad, and even beautiful and ugly, and to attempt to control that power is often the antithesis of the very freedoms that those who attempt to do so themselves espouse. Christians and others are already living in an atmosphere of fear when it comes to being allowed to speak openly about their beliefs regarding sexuality. There have been a number of examples in the British media where people have been reported to the police, interviewed by police, taken to court and even prosecuted for speaking openly about sexuality, or lost their positions at work. In light of these above concerns I would urge the Committee to uphold freedom of speech and to recognise that the proposed amendment is not only an unnecessary measure, but that it would endanger the freedoms that we still enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission.
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