Example: Offensive Language Act 2011

• Offensive Language Act 2011

  Section 1

  It shall be an offence to use language which is either threatening or offensive to any person in a public space. Upon conviction, a defendant will be liable for a maximum of twelve months imprisonment.
• Case 1

  While playing football in the park with his friends, Ali calls a teammate a ‘planter' when he misses an easy shot at goal.

  Ali is guilty; he uses offensive language at his teammate in public.
• Case 2

  While at a football match, Lisa makes a rude gesture to an opposing supporter with her hand.

  Lisa isn’t guilty; she uses a gesture, not language to convey an offensive point at a person in public.
• Case 3

  In a nightclub, Mia tells her friend that another girl at the nightclub looks like a slag.

  Mia is guilty; she used offensive language towards another person in a public space.
• Case 4

  Fed up with falling standards in music, Mike creates a website on which he criticised the music of several different artists.

  Mike isn’t guilty; he criticised, which doesn’t suggest he used offensive language towards multiple artists on a public space.
• Case 5

  During an argument over dinner, Sian calls her younger sister a muppet.

  Sian isn’t guilty; she used offensive language to her sister over dinner (if in their house) not in a public space.