UK Campaigners Push for Change to Stop Music Lyrics from Being Used as Evidence in Court
The use of music lyrics as evidence in UK courtrooms has been widely criticized as unfair and discriminatory, particularly towards young black men. Campaign groups are now urging ministers to make changes to the law to prevent police from using lyrics as evidence unless it is "literal" rather than "figurative or fictional".
Currently, police can produce lyrics written by defendants or flag appearances in music videos as evidence of their involvement with gangs or criminality. However, this practice has been widely criticized for stigmatizing creativity and perpetuating racial biases.
The campaign group, Art Not Evidence, is pushing for an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill, which is currently being debated in Parliament. The proposed change would require police to prove that lyrics are directly related to a case before using them as evidence.
"We're in a ridiculous position where somebody's musical taste is somehow probative of their criminal intent," said Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, who is backing the amendment. "It's extraordinary."
The campaign groups also want to see expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions be independent, and procedural safeguards against stereotyping.
The use of music lyrics as evidence has become increasingly common in recent years, with over 70 trials between 2020-23 involving rap evidence including lyrics, music videos, and audio recordings. However, successful appeals against the use of lyrics or music video appearances are rare.
The amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill has support from Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and is due to be debated in the Lords this week. Campaigners hope that the proposed change will be supported by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
The issue highlights the need for reform in how music evidence is handled in courtrooms, particularly when it comes to issues of racism and bias.
The use of music lyrics as evidence in UK courtrooms has been widely criticized as unfair and discriminatory, particularly towards young black men. Campaign groups are now urging ministers to make changes to the law to prevent police from using lyrics as evidence unless it is "literal" rather than "figurative or fictional".
Currently, police can produce lyrics written by defendants or flag appearances in music videos as evidence of their involvement with gangs or criminality. However, this practice has been widely criticized for stigmatizing creativity and perpetuating racial biases.
The campaign group, Art Not Evidence, is pushing for an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill, which is currently being debated in Parliament. The proposed change would require police to prove that lyrics are directly related to a case before using them as evidence.
"We're in a ridiculous position where somebody's musical taste is somehow probative of their criminal intent," said Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, who is backing the amendment. "It's extraordinary."
The campaign groups also want to see expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions be independent, and procedural safeguards against stereotyping.
The use of music lyrics as evidence has become increasingly common in recent years, with over 70 trials between 2020-23 involving rap evidence including lyrics, music videos, and audio recordings. However, successful appeals against the use of lyrics or music video appearances are rare.
The amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill has support from Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and is due to be debated in the Lords this week. Campaigners hope that the proposed change will be supported by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
The issue highlights the need for reform in how music evidence is handled in courtrooms, particularly when it comes to issues of racism and bias.
can u believe thats still a thing? like music is literally being used against ppl just cuz they like certain artists or genres 
its not even about their actions or behavior, but what they listened 2 like 5 yrs ago. anywayz, gotta give props to these campaigners who are fighting 4 change 
they're makin it clear that our creativity & musical tastes shouldn't be used against us in court. its all about protectin our rights & makin sure we dont get unfairly targeted cuz of stereotypes or biases 
the gov needs 2 step up & support this amendment, esp since Baroness Doreen Lawrence is on board 
hopefully, itll pass soon & we can start seein more positive changes in how music is handled in court 
The idea that someone's musical taste says something about their character is just wild. And don't even get me started on the whole "literal vs figurative" thing - how are they supposed to know if it's one or the other? It's all just a big mess, and I'm surprised no one has sued for copyright infringement yet... like, if they can sue over a lyric, why not use the lyrics against you? 
I think its kinda crazy that police can use song lyrics as evidence against someone without any actual proof lol. Its like theyre using creativity as a way to judge peoples intentions. The idea that someone's musical taste could be seen as probative of their criminal intent is just plain wrong 
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. It's like, can't we focus on actual crimes instead of someone's musical taste or what's in their playlists? 
I get that it might seem small, but for young black men, it's a big deal 
. It's about time we made sure police prove lyrics are directly related to a case before using them as evidence 
. And having independent expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions would be awesome 
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. It's also about respecting people's creativity and individuality 
. We should be focusing on how our actions affect others, not what we like to listen to or watch 
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. Using song lyrics as evidence can be super unfair and lead to some pretty messed up conclusions 
. Like, just because someone likes a certain type of music doesn't mean they're into gangs or anything like that 
- it's all about credibility, fam! And, can we talk about how often we get stereotyped for our tastes? Like, a person's musical preferences shouldn't dictate their fate 
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, you know? Using someone's musical taste as a way to judge their character or involvement with gangs just doesn't sit right with me 
. We need some clear guidelines and safeguards to prevent stereotyping and biases, especially when it comes to people from underrepresented communities 
we need to get rid of this kind of bias and only use lyrics as evidence if they're literally proven to be connected to a case, otherwise, its just unfair.
I've seen this happen to young people, especially black kids, where they get picked on for listening to certain types of music or having tattoos. It's like they're already at a disadvantage.
. It's wild that they can use someone's musical taste to judge their intentions. Like, I'm all for artists being held accountable for their work but not having it used against them is a whole different story. This is like a scene from a bad movie where the cops are trying to solve crimes by knowing what kind of music the suspect listens to 
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. It'll make sure that these cases aren't just about stereotypes or racism. Let's hope this amendment gets passed soon! 
. It's all about context and common sense, you know? And yeah, it can be stigmatizing for creatives, but like, if someone's using lyrics as evidence to try and discredit them, that's a whole different story 
. And if there are biases involved, then yeah, we need to make sure they're addressed. But just because someone's being unfair doesn't mean the entire practice has to go up in flames 
It just seems unfair and discriminatory towards young black men, who are already facing so many challenges.
I mean, what if the person likes music from a certain time period because they grew up listening to it, not because they're affiliated with anything bad? 
And it's only affecting young black men, which is already super problematic 
, you know? I mean, think about it, using someone's musical taste as evidence of their involvement with gangs or criminality is just wild 
. It's like they're saying that if you listen to the same music as a rapper who was involved in some shady stuff, then you must be connected to them too 
. I've seen so many cases where young black men are unfairly targeted because of the music they listen to or appear in videos with 
. It's like, just because someone makes a song about something doesn't mean they're guilty of it