Editing Hate crime (section)

=====Scotland=====
Under [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Scots law#Common law|Common law]] the courts can take any aggravating factor into account when sentencing someone found guilty of an offence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chapter 3: Current hate crime legislation in Scotland |url=http://www.gov.scot/publications/independent-review-hate-crime-legislation-scotland-consultation-non-technical-guide/pages/5/ |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=www.gov.scot |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How distinctive is Scotland's new approach to sentencing guidelines? – Sentencing Academy |url=https://www.sentencingacademy.org.uk/scottish-sentencing-guidelines/ |access-date=2024-06-02 |language=en-US}}</ref> There is legislation dealing with the offences of incitement of racial hatred, racially aggravated harassment, and prejudice relating to religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/8/contents?section-1-7|title=Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009|website=www.legislation.gov.uk |publisher=UK Legislation}}</ref> A [[Scottish Executive]] working group examined the issue of hate crime and ways of combating crime motivated by social prejudice, reporting in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|title=Working Group on Hate Crime|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/criminal/17543/8978 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107212250/http://www.scotland.gov.uk./Topics/Justice/criminal/17543/8978 |archive-date=7 January 2009}}</ref> Its main recommendations were not implemented, but in their manifestos for the [[2007 Scottish Parliament election]] several political parties included commitments to legislate in this area, including the [[Scottish National Party]], which now forms the Scottish Government.  The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Bill was introduced on 19 May 2008 by [[Patrick Harvie]] MSP,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/09-AggPrej/index.htm |title=Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Bill |publisher=Scottish.parliament.uk |access-date=21 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825214959/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/09-AggPrej/index.htm |archive-date=25 August 2011 }}</ref>  having been prepared with support from the Scottish Government, and was passed unanimously by the [[Scottish Parliament|parliament]] on 3 June 2009.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8078988.stm|title= MSPs approve new hate crime laws | work = BBC News |date=3 June 2009}}</ref>

The [[Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021]] comes into force on 1 April 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amery |first=Rachel |date=13 March 2024 |title=Hate crime law: Glasgow LGBT+ sex shop designated official reporting centre for controversial new laws |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/hate-crime-law-glasgow-lgbt-sex-shop-designated-official-reporting-centre-for-controversial-new-laws-4553231 |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=The Scotsman}}</ref> Its introduction was criticised by the [[Association of Scottish Police Superintendents]] saying it feared [[Police Scotland]] would be deluged by cases, diverting officers from tackling violent offenders and that the Act threatened to fuel claims of “institutional bias” against the force.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boothman |first=John |date=28 March 2024 |title=Hate crime law 'will hamper fight against violent offenders' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/hate-crime-law-will-hamper-fight-against-violent-criminals-7t9gs7pq0 |access-date=28 March 2024 |work=[[The Times]]}}</ref>

====== Non-crime hate incidents ======
In March 2024, [[Scottish Conservatives]] MSP [[Murdo Fraser]] threatened [[Police Scotland]] with legal action following his criticism of the [[Scottish Government]]'s transgender policy was logged as a "hate incident" after being told that his name appears in police records for expressing his view about the policy even though no crime was committed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bol |first=David |date=25 March 2024 |title=Murdo Fraser accuses police of 'unlawful' behaviour after tweet recorded as 'hate incident' |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/murdo-fraser-accuses-police-of-unlawful-behaviour-after-tweet-recorded-as-hate-incident-4567214 |access-date=25 March 2024 |work=The Scotsman}}</ref> Fraser had shared a column written by Susan Dalgety for ''[[The Scotsman]]'', which claimed the Scottish Government's 'non-binary equality action plan' would lead to children being "damaged by this cult" and commenting "Choosing to identify as 'non-binary' is as valid as choosing to identify as a cat. I'm not sure governments should be spending time on action plans for either."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dalgety |first=Susan |date=18 November 2023 |title=Scottish Government is fostering a cult of gender-identity ideology that is destroying lives |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/scottish-government-is-fostering-a-cult-of-gender-identity-ideology-that-is-destroying-lives-susan-dalgety-4413621 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117223305/http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/scottish-government-is-fostering-a-cult-of-gender-identity-ideology-that-is-destroying-lives-susan-dalgety-4413621 |archive-date=17 November 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024 |work=The Scotsman}}</ref>