MSPs will resume the debate on the Scottish Government's controversial Hate Crime Bill on Thursday after running out of time on Wednesday night.
Justice secretary Humza Yousaf had hoped the legislation would clear its final hurdle but the sheer number of amendments proposed by Holyrood members meant parliament bosses were forced to call a halt after 8pm.
The bill would consolidate existing hate crime laws but also establish a new offence of "stirring up hatred" on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation, age, disability and transgender identity.
Opposition politicians have warned this could lead to individuals facing criminal charges for expressing controversial opinions.
Yousaf had urged MSPs to back the Bill adding that the level of parliamentary scrutiny has "shown Holyrood at its best - collaborative, diverse and determined Parliament which we should all be proud of".
He added: "We must remember why this Bill is so necessary, every day in Scotland there are an estimated 18 hate crimes committed.
"The effects of these crimes are felt deeply by those targeted and this prejudice has a pernicious effect on the health of a society and its communities.
"Not only that, the toll hate crime takes on its victims and their families, is immense."
Labour MSP Johann Lamont moved an amendment that would have seen see sex added as a protected characteristic under the bill.
She said: "The group that everyone would recognise most routinely face hatred in their everyday lives is women.
"We know that women are murdered by their partners, face domestic abuse and violence, and are discriminated against in all sorts of ways. Yet they are not featured in this legislation. I simply think that's wrong.
"Even if the legislation is only about giving signals about how we should treat each other, then women should be at the heart of that."
Her fellow Labour MSP Neil Findlay said the bill should have been voted down and referred to the next parliament to improve it.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr: “The SNP’s Hate Crime Bill was a shambles from the start. For too long, they were in denial about its glaring flaws even in the face of widespread opposition.
“Under pressure from the Scottish Conservatives, they u-turned on some of the worst parts. We made Humza Yousaf back down – but he didn’t go far enough.
“We remain opposed to the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill because it is a serious threat to freedom of speech. In particular, it risks what people can say in their own home, at their own dinner table. That is an unacceptable and outrageous overstepping of the mark.
“We agree that hate crime should be tackled forcefully but threatening our fundamental right to free speech is too heavy a price to pay.
“The SNP got this bill so badly wrong from the outset that, despite being forced to overhaul it several times, it remains seriously flawed on a fundamental point of principle.”
