Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

I share the hon. Gentleman’s sentiments, but the current wording of the Bill implies that ““Life of Brian”” or any other lampoon might be criminalised. It only needs to be established that a lampoon is viewed as insulting in the minds of the people being lampooned. Once that trigger has been passed, if the material is likely to be heard by people who are likely, on that basis, to be incited to the hatred of a person’s religion, the offence is established in law, so only the Attorney-General stands between the lampoon and prosecution.