JK Rowling’s comments about new hate crime laws are ‘not criminal’ and she will face no further action

JK Rowling will not be facing further action over her tweets criticising the new Scottish hate crime laws.

The Harry Potter author had issued a dare to police to arrest her on social media relating to the legislation that came into force in Scotland.

Now, a spokesperson from Scottish police said her comments “are not assessed to be criminal”.

The author has received backlash from members of the LGBT+ community over allegedly gender critical comments.

Rowling, who said she was out the country, said if her posts were an offence under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act – which came into force on Monday – she would “look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment”.

She said that “freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal”.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have received complaints in relation to the social media post.

“The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken.”

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Earlier today Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would not be drawn on whether he supported her approach, saying that it was “not right for me to comment on police matters, individual matters”.

But he added: “We should not be criminalising people saying common sense things about biological sex, clearly that isn’t right. We have a proud tradition of free speech.”

First Minister Humza Yousaf said the law was designed to deal with what he called a “rising tide of hatred” in society.

More to come…