Vile Words

Despite the widespread belief that freedom of speech is a fundamental right in Western liberal democracies, many criminal prosecutions take place each year because of things ordinary people say in public places or on social media. Until now, this widespread criminalisation of everyday discourse has largely escaped scrutiny. Written by a leading expert on hate crime, this topical book highlights the extent to which people are punished for uttering 'vile words'. The book examines the justification for verbally-expressed bigotry being criminalised through the courts as hate crime and proposes an evidence-based 'red line' focusing on the harmful impact of such speech.