The National Secular Society has said a move to abolish Northern Ireland's blasphemy laws would send a "powerful signal" of support for free speech.
Alliance Party MLA Connie Egan has today submitted an amendment to the Justice Bill which would repeal the common law offences of 'blasphemy' and 'blasphemous libel' in NI.
The move follows campaigning from the NSS, which last year called for the Minister of Justice to repeal the blasphemy laws as part of the bill.
NI is the only part of the UK that still has blasphemy laws. They were abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and in Scotland in 2021. The Republic of Ireland abolished its blasphemy laws in 2020.
The Alliance Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and Sinn Féin are all understood to endorse the repeal of blasphemy laws.
The NSS has argued blasphemy laws are incompatible with fundamental human rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief, and can be invoked to silence criticism or ridicule of religion in Northern Ireland.
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