The National Secular Society has said a move to abolish Northern Ireland’s blasphemy laws would send a “powerful signal” of support for free speech.
Alliance Party MLA Connie Egan has today submitted an amendment to the Justice Bill which would repeal the common law offences of ‘blasphemy’ and ‘blasphemous libel’ in NI.
The move follows campaigning from the NSS, which last year called for the Minister of Justice to repeal the blasphemy laws as part of the bill.
NI is the only part of the UK that still has blasphemy laws. They were abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and in Scotland in 2021. The Republic of Ireland abolished its blasphemy laws in 2020.
The Alliance Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and Sinn Féin are all understood to endorse the repeal of blasphemy laws.
The NSS has argued blasphemy laws are incompatible with fundamental human rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief, and can be invoked to silence criticism or ridicule of religion in Northern Ireland.
In 2014, Newtownabbey Borough Council in NI banned a play about the Bible on the grounds that it was “blasphemous”.
Blasphemy laws are used internationally to persecute religious minorities, the non-religious, those who leave or change their religion, or simply those who speak their mind about religion. The Humanists International 2024 Freedom of Thought Report found blasphemy or apostasy is punishable by death in ten countries.
Egan said: “It is time for Northern Ireland to join its neighbours in repealing blasphemy laws. These laws are not only outdated and unused, but they also violate the right to freedom of speech and expression, and infringe upon the right to freedom of religion or belief”.
NSS: Repeal would send message that “blasphemy laws belong in the past”
The NSS is urging all MLAs to support the amendment.
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: “The continued presence of blasphemy laws in Northern Ireland weakens the UK’s credibility when speaking out against their use overseas. As long as such laws remain anywhere in the UK, our ability to advocate for free expression elsewhere is diminished.
“Repealing these outdated provisions would send a powerful signal that Northern Ireland stands firmly for freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and democratic values. It would show that criminalising belief or dissent has no place in a modern society.
“Just as importantly, abolition would send a clear message internationally that blasphemy laws belong in the past. By removing them at home, Northern Ireland can help strengthen global efforts to defend free speech and challenge laws that silence debate or punish dissent.”