Spike in online hate crime prosecutions following Lucy Connolly conviction
Prosecutions for posts on social media that might inflame racial hatred have increased rapidly in the last decade, with many calling for a review of the law.
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Figures from the Ministry of Justice show a jump from just one conviction in 2015 to 44 convictions in the year 2024.
Campaigners and politicians have critised the increasing numbers, claiming the law is being used too widely and is impeding on free speech.
The offence is a crime under the Public Order Act and all prosecutions must be signed off by Attorney General, Lord Hermer - a measure implemented to prevent unneccessary restrictions on free speech by the criminal justice system.
The debate comes as Lucy Connolly, sentenced to 31 months for a racist tweet following the Southport stabbings, was released from HMP Peterborough on Thursday, August 21.
Her post came during a period of rising public tension regarding murder of three children at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, with a large amount of misinformation - and concerns over illegal immigration - circulating online.
In the post on X, Mrs Connolly said people could “set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care”, as well as the “treacherous government & politicians” and called for mass deportations. She deleted the tweet about three hours later, after it was viewed over 310,000 times.
Read more: Ex-Tory councillor's wife Lucy Connolly walks free from prison following jail term for hate tweet
Read more: Lucy Connolly to speak out after jail term for hate tweet
Founder and director of the Free Speech Union, Lord Young, said the increase in prosecutions showed the requirements for convictions should be higher. He said that the UK should follow in the steps of the US, with prosecutors having to prove both intention to stir up hatred, as well as likelihood to do so.
“In my view, neither limb was satisfied in Connolley’s case, so she would not have been prosecuted if we applied this test.”
In the past decade, 141 people have been convicted under Section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986 - almost a third of those convictions (31%) coming in 2024,
The figures show an apparent increase in those charged with the offence - from 2015 to 2019, 48 people were charged, compared to 93 between 2020 and 2024. The majority of convictions have come in the past three years.
Although the offence can include publication of leaflets and videos, the majority of recent charges are understood to relate to online content.
Following Mrs Connolly’s release, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also weighed in, suggesting the Public Order Act may be in need of review.
“Protecting people from words should not be given greater weight in law than public safety. If the law does this, then the law itself is broken - and it’s time Parliament looked again at the Public Order Act.”
Mrs Connolly, 42, had served around 40% of her sentence at the time of release. She pled guilty to one count of inciting racial hatred last year, although has unsuccessfully appealed against her sentence.
The wife of the Northampton Tory councillor must remain on license until the end of her full sentence. Any further offences or breaches within that time could see her return to prison.