Comic in new plea to change religious hate law

Protesters led by comic Rowan Atkinson today made an 11th-hour appeal for ministers to scrap their religious-hatred legislation.

Plans to create an offence of incitement to religious hatred threatened freedom of speech, he said.

Along with author Salman Rushdie he has led protests against the "all encompassing" proposals and Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart has already agreed to water down the legislation.

The Government is to rename the offence "hatred against persons on racial or religious grounds" to make clear that religious jokes are not being targeted. Ms Mactaggart also said the Attorney General would have the final say on any prosecution.

But Mr Atkinson said the changes did not go far enough. "The incitement of religious hatred doesn't even have to be intended, just that it offends any person. The Government seems to be relying on the Attorney General in that he will say 'aye or no' to prosecution.

"But the Attorney General is not an independent adjudicator. He's a politician and I don't want the threat of prosecution hanging over me and the final decision made by a politician."

Atkinson accused the Government of bringing in the laws simply to garner favour with religious groups ahead of the election.

The proposed legislation is included in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill which has its final reading in the Commons today. It would make it an offence for a person to use "threatening, abusive, or insulting" words or behaviour that would stir up religious hatred.