UK Police Arrested 62,199 People For Speech, Convicted Just 12,292 In Five Years
Big Brother Watch's report, titled 'Britain's Free Speech Problem,' found 18,500 people were charged over the same five years.
- Only 12,292 of the 62,199 arrested, one in five, were convicted.
- Cumbria police arrested people for speech offences 14 times Northumbria's rate.
- Big Brother Watch's Silkie Carlo urged Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to order a review.
Why it matters: Only one in five arrests produced a conviction; for the rest, the arrest was the sentence.
Big Brother Watch, 'Britain's Free Speech Problem' report/press release ↗ · Sep 8, 20269/8/26