Calls for controversial Football Act to include arts venues

Controversial legislation which seeks to prevent hate crime at football matches should be extended to cover settings such as the Edinburgh Festival, it has been claimed.

Could the Football Act be extended to cover arts venues as well? Picture: John Devlin

The Scottish Council for Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) cited an example where Jews were subjected to “taunts and intimidation” at a performance by an Israeli dance group.

It said the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act could be extended in scope to cover “all contexts and venues”.

The Scottish Parliament’s justice committee is currently consulting on legislation which would repeal the act brought in following the Old Firm “shame game” between Rangers and Celtic in 2011.

Opposition parties have united behind a bid by Labour’s James Kelly to scrap the legislation. However, the Scottish Government argues the act gives police and prosecutors the power to tackle offensive and threatening behaviour in and around grounds.

In its submission to the ongoing consultation, SCoJeC said: “It is undoubt-
edly the case that in practice the act has brought the police and justice system into conflict with certain football clubs and their supporters.

“However, we believe that the solution to this is not repeal but to extend the scope of the act and apply it equally in all contexts and venues, to all protected characteristics, and to all forms of hate crime.

“We agree that these behaviours covered by the 2012 act should be criminal offences, but disagree that this should be limited to the context of football matches. We are, for example, aware of analogous behaviours at the venue of an Edinburgh Fringe Festival event, when demonstrators protesting against the presence at the Festival of an Israeli dance group abused Jewish and Israeli people...”

A number of football supporters’ groups have called for the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act to be scrapped.

The Celtic Trust has described the act as “unjust” and says it has “soured” relationships between fans and police.

The trust has described the act as “one of the worst pieces of legislation ever drafted in this country”.

According to the Scottish Government, the legislation was used 377 times in 2016-17.

Opponents of the law say it is poorly written, unnecessary in light of existing legislation and unfairly targets football fans.

But Victim Support Scotland is among the groups against the repeal of the legislation.