The new legislation creates a criminal offence of stirring up hatred against protected groups, expanding on a similar offence based on race that has been on the statute books for decades, as well as consolidating a number of different pieces of hate crime legislation. But more than 2,000 people responded to a call for views made last year after the publication of the Bill's first iteration, and concerns over freedom of expression led to a number of changes to the legislation before it was passed on Thursday. Concerns were also raised that conversations over the dinner table that incite hatred could be prosecuted while actors and playwrights could become criminally liable for what they say during plays.