Hate speech laws in the United Kingdom

Hate speech laws in England and Wales are found in several statutes, and differ slightly from those adopted in Scotland. It is illegal to express hatreds toward a person on the basis of their skin colour, race, sex, disability, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origin, religion, or sexual orientation. It is also illegal to communicate in a threatening or abusive way with the intention of harassing, alarming, or distressing someone. Penalties for hate speech can include fines, imprisonment, or both.

The Police and CPS have formulated definitions of hate crimes and hate incidents, with hate speech forming a subset of these. An incident is classified as a hate incident if the victim or anyone else believes that it was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on: disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. A hate incident becomes a hate crime if it crosses the boundary of criminality.

Some United Kingdom statutes apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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