14 January 2013 Last updated at 23:05
'Insulting words' crime ditched
"Theresa May Mrs May told MPs that free speech needed to be balanced with action against widespread offence
The crime of "insulting" someone through words or behaviour, which once led to the arrest of a student for asking a police officer whether his horse was gay, is to be dropped.
Home Secretary Theresa May confirmed to MPs that the government would not seek to overturn a Lords amendment scrapping the ban.
The director of public prosecutions has said it will not hinder his work.
But Labour warned that it could remove protections for minority groups.
Section 5 of the 1986 Public Order Act currently means that "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour" might be deemed a criminal offence."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21020737
January 15, 2013
Neigh More Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
"Looking at past cases, the Director of Public Prosecutions could not identify any where the behaviour leading to a conviction could not be described as “abusive” as well as “insulting”."
http://www.annaraccoon.com/politics/neigh-more-dont-ask-dont-tell/
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