The Blasphemy Laws The second reading of the Blasphemy Laws
(Amend- ment) Bill was passed on Friday, January 24th, in the House of Commons by a majority of 54. The operative clause reads : " After the passing of this Act no criminal proceedings shall be instituted in any Court against any person for schism, heresy, blasphemy, blasphemous libel or atheism." This is obviously only to bring an old law into line with the facts. But it ought still to be possible, in the words of the Indian Penal Code quoted by Sir Frederick Pollock in the Times of Wednesday, to prosecute persons who use blasphemous language " with deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of any person." Most members were convinced that such very proper prosecutions are covered by the existing law relating to breaches of the peace. If this is really so, we may welcome the Bill as removing an anachronism.
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