Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce legislation to repeal section 3 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919, which created an offence of causing or attempting to cause sedition or disaffection.
Answer
As I indicated during debate at Lords Committee stage of the Coroners and Justice Bill (Official Report, 9/7/09, col. 850), the Government intend to bring forward amendments at Report to abolish the common law offences of sedition and seditious libel. We have considered whether, as a consequence of that decision, the immediate repeal without replacement of the offences under the Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934 and section 3 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919 could also be justified. But we need to consider more fully than the Bill timetable will allow whether the abolition of those offences would leave a gap in the law.