U.K. Laws To Curb Fascists

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30146, 1 June 1963, Page 13

U.K. Laws To Curb Fascists

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON. May 30. Britain took action today to tighten her laws against racial discriminations by increasing the penalties for offences at public meetings. The Home Secretary (Mr Brooke) announced in the House of Commons that a bill was being introduced in the House of Lords ‘forthwith.” The decision was made after review of the adequacy of the law relating to public order in the light of two cases involving Colin Jordan, aged 39, the leader of the Fascist - style National Socialist Movement in Britain.

In one he was found guilty with others of running a quasi-military organisation and sentenced to nine months’ gaol. In the other

he was found guilty of using in Trafalgar square, London, last July, “insulting words by which a breach of the peace was likely to be occasioned." He was gaoled for one month for this. Mr Brooke told the House of Commons the Government was “determined that extremists should not be allowed to provoke violence by stirring up racial hatreds " Immediate action was required to strengthen the penalties for offences under the Public Meeting and Public Order Acts

“The people of this country are united in their detestation of Fascism and in their determination not to allow abuse of free speech by extremists, leading to breaches of the peace,” Mr Brooke said. “The police can be relied on to enforce the law with vigour.” Mr Brooke said the sanctions provided by the existing law did not rest entirely on statute law. A person wh spoke words or published matter calculated to provoke a breach of the

peace, with the intention of stirring up hatred or hostility between different classes of the Queen's subjects, was guilty of the common law of misdemeanour of sedition. Mr Brooke said: “That offence extends to the stirring up of hatred or hostility on the ground of race It is punishable by fine and also by imprisonment being entirely at the court’s discretion.

“It will be the duty of the Government to watch the situation closely, and if further legislative action be found necessary we shall not hesitate to take it. For we are determined that the law shall be fully adequate to deal with any persons or groups whose words or actions give rise to breaches of the peace," he said.