Legislation

Legislation

The key legislation in Scotland regarding sectarianism is the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 which makes religious hatred in any form an aggravating factor to a crime. A similar provision exists for the rest of the UK under the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2002.

The Human Rights Act 1998 also ensures that the right to freedom of thought, conscience and belief is protected. Further protection of this right is provided by the human rights provisions in the Scotland Act 1998 and by the EU directive on non-discrimination in employment on grounds of religion.

All UK laws can be found at the Office of Public Sector Information.