I bloody hope not. A High Court judge has ruled that people should not be punished for hurling obscenities in public because such words are now so common they no longer cause distress.
Swearing in public, previously a criminal offence across the UK, appears to no longer offend the legal system as much as it once did. Mr Justice Bean upheld the appeal of a defendant who was convicted for repeatedly using an expletive while being searched by police. The judge ruled that officers heard the term in question too frequently to be offended by it.
The decision, which has been strongly criticised by the Police Federation, follows a row over guidance issued by the Metropolitan Police, which advised that the courts were unlikely to rule that officers would be caused distress by most swearwords.
BUT, surely it’s all relative? Doesn’t it depend where you are and who you’re with? You can’t make sweeping judgements can you?
