UK Lawmakers Told to Ditch 'Discriminatory' Music Lyrics from Court Cases
A vocal campaign has been launched to change the law so that music lyrics can no longer be used as evidence in UK court cases. The proposed change, which could soon pass through parliament, would render police practices currently using lyrics to identify suspects with gang ties or alleged involvement in crime as "discriminatory and often baseless".
Campaigners argue that the current system unfairly targets young black men, painting them as potential criminals simply because of their musical tastes. "It's extraordinary" they claim, drawing parallels between someone's love for Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' and being accused of being a mobster.
The proposed amendment would limit the use of lyrics in court to only those directly relevant to the case, rather than relying on them as a general indicator of potential wrongdoing. This shift could significantly reduce the number of appeals that have tripled in recent years, with cases often involving young black men and defendants accused of involvement with gangs or gang-related crimes.
Critics argue that lyrics are often misinterpreted, exaggerated, or entirely false, and should not be used to build a case against someone. Instead, they call for expert witnesses on music in court to be independent and subject to procedural safeguards against stereotyping. The proposal also addresses the issue of retired police officers being used as experts, which some see as "abusive" and an abuse of their power.
The Crown Prosecution Service has previously acknowledged that it has never prosecuted a case based solely on a suspect's involvement with rap or drill music. However, research has shown that this type of evidence is regularly presented in trials, often leading to unsuccessful appeals against its use.
Supporters of the change believe it could help combat discrimination and ensure justice is served without relying on unreliable and subjective forms of evidence.
A vocal campaign has been launched to change the law so that music lyrics can no longer be used as evidence in UK court cases. The proposed change, which could soon pass through parliament, would render police practices currently using lyrics to identify suspects with gang ties or alleged involvement in crime as "discriminatory and often baseless".
Campaigners argue that the current system unfairly targets young black men, painting them as potential criminals simply because of their musical tastes. "It's extraordinary" they claim, drawing parallels between someone's love for Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' and being accused of being a mobster.
The proposed amendment would limit the use of lyrics in court to only those directly relevant to the case, rather than relying on them as a general indicator of potential wrongdoing. This shift could significantly reduce the number of appeals that have tripled in recent years, with cases often involving young black men and defendants accused of involvement with gangs or gang-related crimes.
Critics argue that lyrics are often misinterpreted, exaggerated, or entirely false, and should not be used to build a case against someone. Instead, they call for expert witnesses on music in court to be independent and subject to procedural safeguards against stereotyping. The proposal also addresses the issue of retired police officers being used as experts, which some see as "abusive" and an abuse of their power.
The Crown Prosecution Service has previously acknowledged that it has never prosecuted a case based solely on a suspect's involvement with rap or drill music. However, research has shown that this type of evidence is regularly presented in trials, often leading to unsuccessful appeals against its use.
Supporters of the change believe it could help combat discrimination and ensure justice is served without relying on unreliable and subjective forms of evidence.
... Music should never be used to judge someone's character or even their involvement in crime! I mean, can you imagine if they tried that with your favorite movie quotes? Like, "The Shawshank Redemption" fan = a future convict? No way, right? It's all about stereotyping and profiling, which is straight up wrong 
. Those police practices are not only discriminatory but also lead to wrongful convictions... That's just a total bummer 
. We need to make sure justice is served fairly and without relying on flaky evidence like music lyrics.
I think this proposed change is a great step towards reducing bias in our justice system! 
It's crazy to think that someone's love for music can lead to being accused of something they didn't do. Like, who hasn't jammed out to some epic beats and then gone on to have an amazing day? 
It's not about the lyrics themselves, but how they're used to judge someone's character. We need to make sure we're using evidence that's fair and reliable, not just relying on stereotypes or personal opinions. 
but seriously, using music lyrics as evidence in court cases is just not right 
what's next, using your favorite meme to build a case against you? 
anyway, i think its cool that there are ppl fighting for change and making sure that justice is served without relying on unreliable evidence 
The idea that police practices are using music lyrics as a way to target young black men is crazy! 
It's not fair that someone's love for music can land them in court and potentially ruin their life. 
The fact that this has been going on for years is wild, especially when you think about the number of appeals that have tripled because of it. 
We need to get rid of this outdated way of doing things and bring in some common sense. 
It's time to rethink how we approach justice, especially when it comes to someone's musical tastes! 
! I mean, who are we to assume that someone's love for certain music genres makes them automatically part of a gang or involved in crime? It's like saying you're guilty just because you enjoy a particular artist - it's outrageous 
. The current system is so unfair and perpetuates stereotypes about young black men. We need to focus on more reliable evidence, like facts and expert opinions. And let's be real, music lyrics are often misinterpreted or taken out of context - it's not fair to use that as a basis for accusing someone of a crime. It's time to update the law and make sure justice is served without relying on subjective and unreliable forms of evidence 
anyway its not funny tho when ppl get wrongly accused cuz of their tastes music choices are sooo personal & who gets to decide what's "discriminatory" anyway? 
but seriously tho, i think its a good idea to limit the use of lyrics in court cases. we dont want the system to be basing convos on some random song someone liked 10 yrs ago 
. I mean, can you imagine if they're using a random movie quote to judge someone? It's just not fair 
, let's make sure justice is served without relying on unreliable info. We should also have expert witnesses who are neutral and not gonna stereotype someone just because of their interests 
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. It's astonishing to me that, in this day and age, we still have to fight against the notion that someone's musical tastes can determine their alleged involvement in crime. The proposed amendment is a crucial step towards reducing the disproportionate impact of such discriminatory practices on young black men.
. This shift highlights the need for experts to be more nuanced in their interpretations and less prone to stereotypes.
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. It's like saying someone who loves sci-fi movies is automatically going to be into cosplay or something 
. I think we need to be way more careful with how we use evidence and make sure that experts are actually qualified to give a fair assessment of the situation 
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. And what about the whole idea that some people might be misinterpreting or exaggerating lyrics? It seems like common sense to me that we should only use lyrics as evidence if they're directly relevant to the case, and not relying on them as a general indicator of potential wrongdoing 
. i mean, who hasn't loved some old-school mobster movie or rap song that got taken outta context? 
it's like they're painting an entire group of ppl with the same brush... 
. it's all about finding the right balance between using evidence that's relevant to the case... 
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