The Scottish Parliament is to introduce tough new laws to crack down on sectarianism ahead of the new football season.

Under the proposed legislation the maximum jail term for people convicted of sectarian hate crimes could rise from six months to five years, following a series of sinister incidents.

The proposals, which were put before the first meeting of the new Scottish cabinet yesterday, are also set to focus on the use of the internet to spread sectarian messages and death threats.

The move by Scottish politicians to clamp down on sectarianism comes just weeks after an attempted bomb attack on Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

The Lurgan man has also been sent a bullet in the post and physically attacked at a game between his club and Hearts earlier this month.

Although the precise detail of what is being proposed hasn’t been made public, it is expected the legislation will focus on disorder around football matches.

It is thought the legislation could also extend to those travelling to and from stadiums, as well as fans watching games elsewhere.

Community Relations Council chief Duncan Morrow says a broad approach is also needed to tackle the problem of sectarianism in Northern Ireland.

He said: “Law in itself will not be enough, there has to be a broader policy.

“If you end up in a situation where there is legislation in Scotland and nothing here, we are going to end up looking odd.”

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill confirmed authorities there are taking a close look at how to tackle the spread of sectarianism on the internet.

He said: “We want to be able to deal with the problems that we have seen with people using electronic communications to peddle hate and sectarian bile. There is a bit of a gap in the law there.”

Story so far

The move by the Scottish Parliament comes after several high-profile incidents. Two men appeared in court over suspected bombs that were sent to Celtic manager Neil Lennon in March. Another man was charged with breach of the peace and assault, aggravated by religious prejudice, after an attack on Neil Lennon at a football game on May 11.

Belfast Telegraph