Fresh bid to combat bigotry

A working group is examining the issue

A Scottish politician has launched a fresh attempt to tackle sectarianism north of the border after losing patience with the parliamentary process.

Liberal Democrat MSP Donald Gorrie believes that the battle against bigotry is taking too long to win.

The backbencher wants to change the law to impose tougher penalties if crimes are motivated by religious hatred.

Last year the MSP for Central Scotland region lodged the Protection from Sectarianism and Religious Hatred Bill.

Donald Gorrie lodged his Bill last year

The member's Bill would make sectarianism and religious hatred an aggravation of existing criminal offences and give the courts powers to impose additional penalties.

However, his proposals are currently languishing in a parliamentary queue while Scottish ministers decide what they want to do.

The Scottish Executive has set up a working group to consider whether the country needs a new law against incitement to religious hatred.

That body has still to produce its report, but Mr Gorrie has lost patience.

He said that the executive's working group had met just twice.

"Its third meeting will be in its tenth month of existence.

"That, I think, gives an indication of the low priority given to this."

Tougher penalties

The executive has already said it hopes to amend the Criminal Justice Scotland Bill to cover wildlife crime.

Mr Gorrie hopes to use the same route to achieve his reforms.

He said that his amendment would show that Scotland does not tolerate violence based on religious or sectarian hatred.

Mr Gorrie said: "At the moment there is legislation about racial hatred but not about sectarian and religious hatred.

"So I have a simple and straightforward amendment I wish to add to the Criminal Justice Bill saying that crimes motivated, in the view of the court, by sectarian or religious hatred would get a much stiffer penalty.

"I think that would send out a clear message."