# Good news: upskirting to be illegal in UK **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890 "2019-01-16T19:49:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/1 "2019-01-16T19:49:02Z")
BBC article [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46884697). And well done to Gina and Wera Hobhouse MP for pushing it through. > [@](#): > > Gina was waiting to watch The Killers perform at British Summer Time music festival in London’s Hyde Park when a man put his phone between her legs and took pictures of her crotch. > [@](#): > > It wasn’t long before the campaign was picked up by Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse. > > Encouraged by government ministers, she brought a private members’ bill backing the creation of an upskirting offence. Note that the UK government is Conservative and Wera Hobhouse is not. And a big **FUCK YOU** to Christopher Chope MP for trying to block it. I just hope it covers up-kilting too. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/2 "2019-01-16T19:53:18Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I just hope it covers up-kilting too. I think that problem takes care of itself. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/3 "2019-01-16T19:55:18Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I think that problem takes care of itself. Well, I would hope that a lady would be so impressed that she would swoon into my arms… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/4 "2019-01-16T20:03:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Well, I would hope that a lady would be so impressed that she would swoon into my arms… 🙂 I just display the blue ribbon I won. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/5 "2019-01-16T20:03:42Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Well, I would hope that a lady would be so impressed that she would swoon into my arms… 🙂 Step 1: Woman sees man in a kilt. Step 2: Woman puts a phone up his kilt and takes a taintshot. Step 3: Woman looks at photo. Step 4: She’s so delighted with the lovely image that she faints. This may be the single unlikeliest scenario in the history of unlikely scenarios. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/6 "2019-01-16T20:04:22Z")
This wasn’t already illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/7 "2019-01-16T20:05:38Z")
An amazing job of slipping this into yet another “whut about men?!” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/8 "2019-01-16T20:09:59Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Step 1: Woman sees man in a kilt. > Step 2: Woman puts a phone up his kilt and takes a taintshot. > Step 3: Woman looks at photo. > Step 4: She’s so delighted with the lovely image that she faints. > > This may be the single unlikeliest scenario in the history of unlikely scenarios. It’s like the underpants gnomes, there are several ??? steps in there. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/9 "2019-01-16T20:12:03Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > An amazing job of slipping this into yet another “whut about men?!” Even with Quartz, I am prepared to give the benefit of the doubt that the kilt comment was intend as a joke. I am _almost_ prepared to believe that it was a self-deprecating joke about his own “what-about-teH-MENS” tendencies, but maybe that’s a little too optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/10 "2019-01-16T20:15:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This wasn’t already illegal? It probably was, but it might make it easier to prosecute if it’s an explicit offense, rather than having to prove that it violates some more general statute. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/11 "2019-01-16T20:21:33Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Step 1: Woman sees man in a kilt. > Step 2: Woman puts a phone up his kilt and takes a taintshot. > Step 3: Woman looks at photo. > Step 4: She’s so delighted with the lovely image that she faints. > > This may be the single unlikeliest scenario in the history of unlikely scenarios. If you skip step 2 and 3, it comes close to my reaction when I saw a fella coming out of Michaels Craft Store wearing a kilt. I didn’t faint, but I almost swooned. He was delightful to behold. ---
**Author:** ![Garak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/12 "2019-01-16T21:13:10Z")
the article in the OP includes a link to another article that says the new law also does protect men in kilts > **[Upskirting ban 'also protects men in kilts'](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44542051)** > > The government confirms "kilt upskirting" will be covered as it prepares to introduce a ban. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/13 "2019-01-16T22:21:42Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > An amazing job of slipping this into yet another “whut about men?!” I have complained about Chope with respect to this bill [before](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21024573&postcount=2): > [@Quartz](#): > > And I could understand if he had objected to the upskirting bill if it had not been gender neutral - jokes about what’s underneath kilts, anyone? But that does not seem to be the case. Had you done the least bit of research you would have found it. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/14 "2019-01-17T03:17:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This wasn’t already illegal? Yes. This is virtue signalling. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/15 "2019-01-17T11:58:52Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Yes. This is virtue signalling. Objectively false. The one who got the ball rolling on this had this happen to her. 5 days later police told her that the case was closed and “there’s not much we can do” because “it’s not a graphic image”. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/16 "2019-01-17T12:00:32Z")
As per my OP this was NOT previously illegal. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/17 "2019-01-17T12:33:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > This wasn’t already illegal? Yup. About three statutes off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/18 "2019-01-17T12:38:16Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > And a big **FUCK YOU** to Christopher Chope MP for trying to block it. That’s a bit unjust, because if I understand correctly, he blocked it not because he was opposed to it, but for procedural reasons that I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/19 "2019-01-17T13:34:57Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > That’s a bit unjust, because if I understand correctly, he blocked it not because he was opposed to it, but for procedural reasons that I don’t understand. Did you look at the [other thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21024472&postcount=1) and the [Guardian article](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/15/tory-mp-christopher-chope-blocks-progress-of-upskirting-bill)? > [@Linked Guardian article](#): > > Chope’s objection appeared to be based “on a general principle that he doesn’t like private member’s bills”, Hobhouse said, calling it “a petty thing to do”. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890/20 "2019-01-17T14:14:21Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Yup. About three statutes off the top of my head. Really, _read the dang link_. Simple thing. The law was written such that upskirting generally fell out of the definition of any crime. The law was badly written. Scotland had already fixed the law and this was getting England’s law up to speed as well. Badly written laws should be fixed. Not so difficult a concept. Of course the revised law should be written in a gender-neutral manner, such that covers all circumstances (including btw those who may be trans or gender fluid). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-news-upskirting-to-be-illegal-in-uk/827890.md?page=2)