The ‘Wrong Man’ to accuse of a hate incident
Former police officer Harry Miller writes about his important legal case against the police for recording non-crime hate incidents. Harry explains why the police picked ‘the wrong man’ when they found him guilty without trial of a non-crime hate incident. There was a short exchange at my recent Court of Appeal hearing in which Lady ...
8 April 2021 Articles
The impact of lockdowns on religious freedoms
Following the government’s restrictive lockdown measures to try to combat the spread of Covid-19, the Joint Committee on Human Rights launched a call for evidence on the impacts of local and national lockdowns. The committee said it was seeking views on the impact that lockdown has on specific freedoms, including: “The impact of lockdown on ...
12 January 2021 Articles
Human Rights Committee to investigate hate speech and free expression
The Joint Committee on Human Rights is investigating the issue of freedom of expression, calling for evidence from interested groups and individuals. Christian Concern has now submitted evidence from many of our legal cases and the individuals and families that we have supported, calling for free speech to be protected in our society. We would ...
19 November 2020 Articles
Beware government bill seeking licence for criminality
Carys Moseley comments on how the newly proposed Covert Human Intelligence Bill presents a threat to freedoms of speech and religion. The Home Office has tabled a bill in Parliament which would allow public bodies such as the police, the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency to authorise criminal conduct by spies. This ...
23 October 2020 Articles
The rest of the world is watching as freedom of religion is eroded in the West
Dr Martin Parsons, an independent consultant on the global persecution of Christians, comments on the closure of churches during the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on freedom of religion. On 23 March, the UK government announced a lockdown, including the first legal closure of churches by the government since Magna Carta. For a nation which ...
15 October 2020 Articles
Scottish hate crime bill ‘over-regulates free speech’
The Christian Legal Centre’s Roger Kiska comments on how the proposed new Scottish hate crime bill endangers freedom of speech. On 23 April 2020, the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill was introduced by the Scottish government. On the same day, the Government issued a call for evidence in relation to the bill, with ...
29 May 2020 Articles
Ofsted to High Court: ‘Christian groups do not belong in the public square’
The Christian Legal Centre’s Roger Kiska comments on how Christian charity is being squeezed out of the public space. Last week, as oral arguments were being heard by the High Court, Christian Concern commented on the case of Cornerstone Adoption and Fostering Services. The case, which is being supported by the Christian Institute, arose as ...
14 May 2020 Articles
Assessing the Coronavirus Act 2020: what you need to know
The Christian Legal Centre’s Roger Kiska analyses how the Coronavirus Act will affect Christian freedoms in the UK. Read and download our summary guide on the Coronavirus Act 2020. “In many ways, it is hard for modern people living in First World countries to conceive of a pandemic sweeping around the world and killing millions ...
17 April 2020 Articles
Top 5 sites for family entertainment during lockdown
Christian Legal Centre lawyer, Michael Phillips, suggests five sites you can visit during lockdown for family entertainment over the Easter period. The chances are that if you are a Christian parent, you may well have come to the end of ‘acceptable’ viewing on BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, and Netflix for your children or as a ...
3 April 2020 Articles
Police say offending someone is an offence
Christian street preacher, Joshua Sutcliffe, was warned and told by police at Oxford Circus, London, that it is now a crime to offend someone in public. While preaching a message about Jesus’ love and forgiveness for everyone and referring to 1 Corinthians 6:9, Joshua had said that “homosexuality is wrong”. However, the police came and ...
10 March 2020 Articles
Kristie wins hearts at Free Speech Union launch
Tim Dieppe reports on the launch of the Free Speech Union This week saw the launch of a new initiative to defend free speech. The Free Speech Union (FSU) has been set up by journalist Toby Young in order to help protect and support people who suffer in the work place or the public square ...
28 February 2020 ArticlesIssues facing Christians today
It is becoming increasingly harder to be a Christian in today’s society. Almost every week we hear of a street preacher that’s been arrested, children being sexualised in schools, protection for the elderly, vulnerable and pre-born being eroded. How do we deal with it all? How do we make our voices heard? Join us at ...
1 March 2020 Events
Responding to the Conservative manifesto
The Conservative manifesto, released over the weekend, contains no policy proposals on liberalising abortion, gender self-declaration, or no-fault divorce. This sets the Conservatives apart from the other two main parties, both of which have extreme proposals on abortion and gender self-declaration, and both of which propose to introduce unilateral destruction of families through no-fault divorce. Same-Sex ...
28 November 2019 ArticlesChristian Concern responds to Conservative manifesto
The Conservative manifesto, released over the weekend, contains no policy proposals on liberalising abortion, gender self-declaration, or no-fault divorce. This sets the Conservatives apart from the other two main parties, both of which have extreme proposals on abortion and gender self-declaration, and both of which propose to introduce unilateral destruction of families through no-fault divorce. ...
28 November 2019 Press Office
Appeasement, compromise and silence in a D-Day for the Church
Wilberforce Academy Director, Dr Joe Boot, comments on the state of the nation and where we have gone since the Britain of the 1930s and 40s. Sadly, he says, with eroding freedoms and emptying churches, “the heart and soul of the nation [has become] disease-ridden, on life-support and on the edge of extinction.” How will ...
14 June 2019 ArticlesTim Farron’s resignation shows ‘totalitolerance of illiberal elite’
Tim Farron's resignation as leader of the Liberal Democrats "demonstrates that Christians are simply not tolerated by the illiberal elite", says Andrea Williams.
15 June 2017 Press Office
Freedom of speech
We promote the freedom to speak of Jesus Christ and his pattern for life, and to express beliefs and viewpoints to which some people object.
25 May 2019 Current Issues
Oluwole Ilesanmi
Oluwole was arrested, then taken several miles by police and left without means to get home, after street preaching in north London.
1 April 2019 CasesGovernment refuses to say evangelism isn’t hate speech
Tim Dieppe comments on this week’s House of Lord’s debate on religious hate speech. Lord Pearson asked an oral question in the House of Lords this week: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986 remains in force, and if so, what is the basis in statute for the ...
7 December 2018 Articles
Share your experience of life as a Christian in the UK today
The All-Party Parliamentary Group, Christians in Parliament are running an inquiry into ‘Being a Christian in the UK Today’. The group is concerned with what it is like to live as a Christian in the UK in 2018, and there is scope for churches or organisations to respond as well as individuals. What is it ...
6 December 2018 Articles
Scotland’s alarming hate posters
Tim Dieppe discusses posters used in a hate crime awareness campaign by the Scottish Government and Scottish Police. The Scottish Government and the Scottish Police, under the banner One Scotland, are running a hate crime awareness campaign. The campaign consists primarily of posters addressing ‘Bigots’, ‘homophobes’, ‘transphobes’, and others, and signed ‘Yours, Scotland’. David Robertson ...
12 October 2018 Articles
Pastor Oluwole Ilesanmi acquitted of hate speech
A Christian street preacher has been acquitted of using ‘threatening and abusive language’ whilst preaching in Wood Green, London. Pastor Oluwole Ilesanmi, aged 62, had been charged concerning a sermon that he preached on 24 June 2017, when a Muslim and two political activists pressed charges when he criticised the Quran. Although he was charged ...
20 December 2017 Articles
Peer fears evangelism could be hate crime
Lord Pearson of Rannoch has said that that he fears that telling other people about Christianity could soon become a hate crime. In an interview with Premier Radio, Lord Pearson said that free speech is being eroded by hate crime legislation. Last week, in a debate on freedom of speech and the definition of hate crime, ...
13 December 2017 Articles
The Challenge of Islam in the UK
Tim Dieppe writes about the challenge of Islam in the UK, asking how the church should respond. This article was originally published in the Affinity Social Issues Bulletin for November 2017. You can read Tim’s 2024 update on The Challenge of Islam in the UK here. The Influence of Islam The fastest growing religion in ...
22 November 2017 Articles