Prosecutions for stirring up “racial hatred” through social media posts have reached record levels in Britain, triggering calls for urgent reform of the law amid growing fears for freedom of expression.
Ministry of Justice figures show a dramatic rise over the past decade. In 2015, just one person was convicted of the offence under the Public Order Act. By 2024, that number had surged to 44.
Almost a third of all convictions in the past ten years were recorded last year alone, following nationwide unrest in the wake of the Southport stabbings.
