Any attempt to reform the laws on religious offences could result in "profound controversy", an all-party committee of peers warned yesterday.
Old common law offences, including blasphemy, were examined by the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences to see if they should be scrapped or updated.
The committee's deliberations followed attempts by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, to create an offence of incitement to religious hatred in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill in 2001 and in the Religious Offences Bill in 2002.
But the committee said it was concerned about the potential threat to freedom of expression and the risk that the standards of proof required would make it a difficult offence to prosecute.
Viscount Colville of Culross, the chairman of the inquiry, said: "A Bill to deal with these issues is likely to run into profound controversy, despite the pressure to take action on incitement to religious hatred."
"by Jonathan Petre ("The Telegraph," June 10, 2003)
Any attempt to reform the laws on religious offences could result in "profound controversy", an all-party committee of peers warned yesterday.
Old common law offences, including blasphemy, were examined by the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences to see if they should be scrapped or updated.
The committee's deliberations followed attempts by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, to create an offence of incitement to religious hatred in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Bill in 2001 and in the Religious Offences Bill in 2002.
But the committee said it was concerned about the potential threat to freedom of expression and the risk that the standards of proof required would make it a difficult offence to prosecute.
Viscount Colville of Culross, the chairman of the inquiry, said: "A Bill to deal with these issues is likely to run into profound controversy, despite the pressure to take action on incitement to religious hatred."