Offensive Behaviour and Threatening Communications Act

Can there be any surprise at tonight’s news that police are now investigating alleged harassment of members of the SFA Judicial Panel?  On the way home tonight I almost drove off the road when I heard Scotsman journalist, Tom English, on Radio Scotland tell us Rangers knew who sat on the judicial panel a day before Ally McCoist demanded to know who they were on Rangers TV.

Now the SFA inform us the panel members’ identities have been “compromised”.  There was no suggestion their identities were hidden until McCoist fanned the flames on Tuesday, these individuals were not subject to a witch hunt or harrassment.  The Association added “all three panel members have reported intrusion into their personal and work lives, including abusive and threatening communication.”

In Scotland we now have an Offensive Behaviour and Threatening Communications Act.  The Act criminalises “behaviour likely to lead to public disorder which expresses or incites hatred”.   We’ll now see how the law works in this country.

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