JK ROWLING has blasted Humza Yousaf for “bumbling incompetence” over his defence of the Hate Crime Act.
The Harry Potter author reposted comments from the SNP leader who said he understood why her tweets blasting the law“may well be offensive” to trans people.
The First Minister had said: “JK Rowling’s tweets may well be offensive, and are frankly I can understand offensive, upsetting and insulting to trans people, it doesn’t mean it to meet a threshold of criminality of being threatening or abusive and intended to stir up hatred.”
And on Twitter Ms Rowling – who is a fierce critic of the new laws and of the gender self-ID reforms brought forward under Nicola Sturgeon – claimed most of Scotland was “upset and offended” by Mr Yousaf.
She said: “Most of Scotland is upset and offended by Yousaf’s bumbling incompetence and illiberal authoritarianism, but we aren’t lobbying to have him locked up for it.”
The First Minister blasted anti-hate law critics as “ludicrous” for suggesting there is political bias within the police.
Scots Tory MSP Murdo Fraser had written to the Chief Constable Jo Farrell demanding an explanation as to why he – but not the First Minister or JK Rowling – had been recorded as taking part in a “non-crime hate incident”.
The Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP – who threatened cops with legal action last week – said the differing policies raised “a number of serious questions”.
Mr Fraser said: “The public deserve transparency from the force on this very serious matter and I hope the Chief Constable will respond to me as soon as possible.”
And yesterday he blasted the police for “political bias” in their decision making.
But the First Minister said the suggestion was “ludicrous” and “very insulting” to police officers while on a campaign visit in Dingwall.
The SNP leader said it was for the police to decide on whether to note events as “non-crime hate incidents” and that cops were reviewing how to use them in light of issues in England and Wales.
Mr Yousaf added: “Anyone looking objectively over the last year couldn’t possibly make the argument there has been police bias towards the SNP or any political party, it’s a ridiculous statement to make.
“I think Murdo Fraser should stop attacking the police and let them get on with the job that they’ve got to do.”
The First Minister had been reported to police over an anti-racism speech he made in Holyrood in June 2020.
The Harry Potter author also faced complaints after sarcastic comments about high-profile trans people in a social media tirade against the Hate Crime Act.
THE Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act fully kicks in on April 1 - three years after being passed.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act fully kicks in on April 1 – three years after being passed.
It includes an offence of “stirring up hatred” – which previously only applied only to race – covering “protected characteristics” of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and “variations in sex characteristics”.
The key strand of the 2021 Act – punishable by up to seven years in prison – did not come into force straight away amid fears of a lack of police training and IT systems.
There has been criticism after Police Scotland pledged to “investigate every report” made.
But police judged both incidents to be non-criminal, but did not record them as non-crime hate incidents.
Officers can log reports on police systems even when a crime has not taken place.
This has raised concerns among critics who said this could have a “chilling effect” on free speech.
Details from non-crime hate incidents can also be shared with potential employers through Disclosure Scotland checks.
The controversy came as cops tackled as many as 4,000 complaints under the new law which came into force on Monday.
The new laws – which came into force on Monday – extend a previous “stirring up hatred” offence which only applied to race to other “protected characteristics” of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and “variations in sex characteristics”.