The United Kingdom (UK) has opposed the death penalty clause in the proposed National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speech Bill introduced by Senator Sabi Abdullah, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate.
YaahooJournalist understands that the bill states that any person who violates the law shall be liable to life imprisonment and where the act causes any loss of life, the person shall be punished with death by hanging.
Reacting, the British Government said it supports the right of individuals to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority as an essential part of a free and open society, noting that it was following discussions around the proposed legislation closely.
Commenting on the bill in an emailed response to inquiries by The PUNCH on Wednesday, the British government said while it takes a strong stand against hate speech which could incite violence and damage relationships within the society, it supports “the right of individuals to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority as an essential part of a free and open society.”
The statement which was signed by the Chris Ogunmodede, the Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer, British High Commission, Abuja, reads as this; “The UK government is following discussions around the proposed Prohibition of Hate Speech bill closely.
“We take a strong stand against hate speech, which can incite violence and damage community relationships within society. We also strongly support the right of individuals to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority as an essential part of a free and open society.
“The UK strongly opposes the inclusion of the death penalty in any piece of legislation, as a matter of principle,” the statement added.
