BBC: Peers vote to scrap blasphemy
The government has got its controversial plan to scrap the blasphemy law through the House of Lords… The amendment [to the Criminal Justice Bill] will abolish the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel in England and Wales.
Interesting use of the word controversial, I thought, bearing in mind the last three prosecutions for blasphemy were in 1922, 1841 and 1676. Routine housekeeping is how I would have described this amendment to the law.
But, as of last Thursday, I have been sleeping just a little bit more soundly in my bed.
Wasn't the Mary Whitehouse successful private prosection against Gay News (1977 ?) for blasphemy?
You are quite correct. The dates I quoted were from the BBC news story I linked to, but, elsewhere on the BBC News site:
I wish the BBC would check its own website instead of making me look like a total idiot like this!
I wouldn't say a TOTAL idiot! The only reason I remember it was because at the time it was seen as using an antiquated law NOT for the purpose it was originally drafted.