Schedule - Hatred against people on racial or religious grounds
Racial and Religious Hatred Bill
1:00 pm
Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury, Labour)
I would be grateful for some guidance from the Minister. Is it right that under the law as it stands it is possible to make a citizen’s arrest for a potential breach of the peace? If that is so, as I believe was suggested earlier, there is an essential contradiction in the amendment. The hon. Gentleman is saying on one hand that there should not be a power to carry out a citizen’s arrest because of all the trouble it will cause, but on the other hand that it is already covered by the right to arrest for breach of the peace. He seems to be arguing both ways at the same time.