We applaud any attempts to tackle bigotry and sectarianism in Scotland but the climbdown on the Hate Crime Bill is welcome and necessary.
It is not the first time the SNP Government has found itself reversing out of these difficulties.
The challenges of balancing the rights to free speech and civil exchanges with the need to tackle the most extreme hate speech are well known.
The proposed new crime of “stirring up hatred” against protected groups could mean that old jokes about a Scotsman, an Irishman and an Englishman walk into a bar could be considered more than just lame patter.
More seriously, considered criticism of individuals could be interpreted as an offence against a whole group, while open debate on issues from trans rights to religious views could be curtailed.
Policing the law, as was the case with the ill-fated Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, could be a nightmare too.
As with that ill-judged piece of legislation, there were already existing laws that if enforced could deal with the problem of hate speech and bigotry.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has made the right decision to pause now and rethink the bill before the legislation becomes an unworkable mess.
Follow the rules
The latest infection rates in Scotland underline the slog still facing every one of us in the face of Covid-19.
A record number of cases were reported yesterday. And while that is alarming, it doesn’t have to mean a return to the bad days of March and April.
We now know a lot more about how the virus spreads, and health measures can slow it down if properly observed.
The NHS has been through the mill once and is in a better-prepared state for a second spike.
Testing is now more frequent, which also has an impact on higher numbers.
But it remains the case an increasingly large proportion of tests are returning positive. Students are back in halls with predictable results.
People are still dying.
However, Scots are not yet being told to stay at home. Schools are open.
Everyone can help keep it that way, but only if we follow the rules and continue to look after each other.
