Home Secretary Yvette Cooper threatened with court action over free speech curbs
Controversial plan would see members of the public get police files even though they have not broken the law
CAMPAIGNERS have written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper threatening to take her to the High Court over her planned free speech crackdown.
The Cabinet minister wants to force police officers to record more non-criminal hate incidents.
is facing a growing storm over free speech curbs
These are acts which are perfectly legal – but that some people may find offensive.
The Tories had watered down the requirement amid concerns it was curbing free speech and wasting police time.
Toby Young, the director of the Free Speech Union, has written to the Home Sec warning he will launch legal action if she pushes ahead with her plan.
Mr Young said: “The idea that forcing the police to spend more time investigating ‘non-crime’ is going to reduce actual crime is bonkers.
“Burglars and car thieves will have a free hand, knowing the police are too busy reading our tweets to police our streets.”
Woke police had sparked huge controversy by tracking ‘non-criminal hate crimes’ in recent years.
The policy saw police files opened on a number of bizarre and trivial incidents.
Cops opened a “hate incident” file after an 11 year-old boy was called “shorty” back in 2022.
Last year, then Cabinet minister David TC Davies was investigated for a non-crime hate incident after he sent a leaflet to his Welsh constituents about a proposed new travellers site in the area.
After a series of legal challenges, a new police code telling officers they should only record non-crime hate talk when absolutely necessary was unveiled last year.
Ms Cooper wants to reverse this change because of a rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents.
Mr Young’s letter to the Home Sec – seen by The Sun on Sunday – states: “We ask for your assurance that the proposed reversal… will not happen.
“Should this assurance not be forthcoming, we put you on notice….we will take legal action to force you and the College of Policing to comply with the law.”
The letter is also signed by ex police officer Harry Miller.
Mr Miller was dragged through the courts and ended up being slapped with a ‘non crime hate incident’ on his crime report after he sent tweets criticising the idea of changing gender.
He won a legal challenge against the move, with the Court of Appeal ruling that his right to freedom of expression had been breached.
Reports of non crime hate incidents can show up on a criminal record for six years.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “It is vital that the police can capture data relating to non-crime hate incidents when it is proportionate and necessary to do so, to help prevent serious crimes which may later occur.
“We will carefully consider how best to protect individuals and communities from hate whilst also balancing the fundamental right to free speech, and ensuring the police can spend their time dealing with the issues that matter most to our communities.”