UK government admits prosecutor was wrong to say parts of the Bible are “no longer appropriate” in society
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A high-ranking UK government lawyer admitted last week that it was wrong of Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service to have argued that sections of the Bible are ‘no longer appropriate in modern society’ when it charged a Christian street preacher with committing a ‘hate crime,’ Christian Concern (CC) reports.
The admission was made in the House of Lords by the Advocate General for Scotland Lord Stewart of Dirleton (Con), in relation to the case of preacher John Dunn, CC reports. Dunn had been charged with a hate crime after telling a lesbian couple on Swindon high street that the Bible speaks against homosexuality. The case was dismissed when the couple declined to pursue the matter after first reporting Dunn to the police.
Raising the matter in the House of Lords last week, Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl) asked the Government what assessment they have made of the written statement by the Crown Prosecution that the “Bible contains references ‘which are simply no longer appropriate in modern society and which would be deemed offensive if stated in public,’” CC reports.
In response, the Advocate General for Scotland said: “The Wessex Area of the CPS has undertaken a post-case review and acknowledges that the statement was inappropriate…[t]he statement was not intended to and does not represent a change to published CPS Policy. It is not indicative of a general approach by the CPS to cases involving the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the right to freedom of expression.”
“In future…in cases where there is scope for argument to arise as to rights such as that of freedom of expression, such arguments will be submitted to the Senior District Crown Prosecutor for signing off, prior to service,” Stewart added.
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