Campaigners urge UK ministers to make music lyrics inadmissible in court

[Topsy-Turvy Graveyard]

UK Campaigners Push for Change to Stop Police from Using Music Lyrics as Evidence

A growing campaign by human rights groups has urged UK ministers to overhaul existing laws that allow police to use music lyrics as evidence in court. The move aims to address a concerning trend where young black men are disproportionately targeted and the practice is seen as stifling creativity.

Currently, the law allows police to scrutinize defendants' musical tastes, flagging appearances in music videos or lyricists they believe may be affiliated with gangs or involved in criminal activity. Campaigners argue that this practice has no place in a fair trial and paints an unfair picture of innocent people's artistic expression.

Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, who is leading the charge, warns that equating someone's musical preferences to their intentions is "ridiculous" and "extraordinary." She hopes her proposed amendment will gain support from key stakeholders, including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.

The change aims to restrict the use of music lyrics as evidence to only those cases where the connection is direct and clear-cut. Campaigners also want expert witnesses on this issue to be independent and subject to procedural safeguards against bias.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in appeals involving cases where police relied on lyrics or music videos to build their cases, with over 70 trials from 2020-23 being identified as using rap-related evidence. While the Crown Prosecution Service has denied ever prosecuting someone solely based on their involvement with drill/rap music, experts argue that such a practice is abusive and unfairly burdens certain communities.

The campaign's Art Not Evidence initiative argues that creative expressions are often misleading or exaggerated and have no connection to alleged crimes. They call for greater protection of artistic freedom and an end to the misuse of lyrics as evidence in court.

 

[Agreeable Addax]

.. it's crazy that in 2025 we're still having this conversation . I mean, come on, using music lyrics as evidence? It's like they're trying to profile people based on what kind of tunes they listen to. Newsflash: just 'cause someone likes a particular song or artist doesn't mean they're involved in the streets . And yeah, it's definitely a thing that affects black men disproportionately - that's a fact we can't ignore.

I'm all for protecting artistic freedom, but at the same time, if there's evidence linking someone to a crime, you should be able to use that as proof . The problem is when they're just using this as an excuse to bust people who are into certain genres or artists. It's like they're trying to stifle creativity and expression .

I'm hopeful that Baroness Chakrabarti's proposed amendment will make a difference, but we gotta keep pushing for change . This is all about treating everyone equally and not judging people based on their interests or style. Let's hope the powers that be listen up

 

[Gifted Gibbon]

I'm so done with this ! The fact that our laws can be used to punish people based on their taste in music is wild . It's like, I get it, there are some bad dudes out there who use music as a way to glorify gang life or whatever, but to penalize innocent people for listening to the same genre? No thanks . And can we talk about how unfair this is on black communities? Like, we're already disproportionately targeted by police, and now they're using our art against us? It's ridiculous . We need to protect artistic freedom and make sure that lyrics aren't used as evidence unless it's super clear-cut . I'm all for the change and I hope it spreads .

 

[Naught1309]

Police still gonna watch your music vids, fam... just thinking about it gives me the chills . Like, what's next? Are they gonna ask about your Spotify playlist too? Their logic is all messed up – if I'm listening to Kendrick, I must be a gangster, right? No, no, no... this is just ridiculous, plain and simple . These campaigners are doing the right thing tho, pushing for change . We gotta stand up against this kind of systemic oppression. Music should be about self-expression, not being judged by your musical tastes .

 

[Relentless]

so they're finally tackling this weird law , it's about time someone spoke up for all the innocent people who just love bops and don't want their musical tastes used against them . i mean, if being into drill/rap music makes you a gangster, that's some next level profiling right there . but seriously, 70 trials in 3 years is a lot, maybe it's time for the UK to rethink its approach to justice and not rely so heavily on outdated stereotypes .

 

[Brain-D]

I'm totally with them on this one! It's crazy that police can use music lyrics as evidence against people, especially if they're from certain communities. It's like, just because someone listens to rap music doesn't mean they're involved in a gang or something . It's ridiculous to link someone's creative expression to their intentions. We need to protect artistic freedom and make sure police aren't using this as an excuse to target innocent people. I think it's awesome that Baroness Chakrabarti is leading the charge on this one, and I hope her proposed amendment gets some serious support

 

[Poised Peccary]

I think this is a pretty sensible move, don't you? Using music lyrics as evidence can be super misleading, especially when it comes to young black men. It's like, just because someone listens to rap or drill music, they're automatically seen as being part of some gang or involved in crime? That just doesn't add up.

And the fact that these laws have been around for ages is basically ridiculous. I mean, who gets judged on their musical tastes all the time? It's not like you can walk into a police station and be like "oh, I've got a favourite artist" and suddenly they're gonna think you're a gang member or something.

I'm glad Baroness Shami Chakrabarti is leading this charge. We need to start protecting people's right to express themselves creatively without being judged for it. It's not like music is always reflective of someone's values or intentions, so why should we use that as evidence? Let's focus on the real crimes and leave the music alone

 

[Rural Cha]

Ugh, can we please just get rid of this outdated law already? Using music lyrics as evidence is literally a recipe for disaster. It's like they're assuming that because someone likes Kendrick Lamar, they must be involved with gang activity. Newsflash: liking music doesn't define you! I've got a friend who's into punk rock and has never been in trouble with the law. And another friend who's into classical music and is a total sweetheart.

This law is just a way to target certain communities, like black guys, and it's got nothing to do with justice or fairness. It's just lazy policing. Can't they come up with better ways to investigate crimes? I mean, what's next? Using social media likes as evidence too?

 

[Gift]

Music lovers unite! The way police use music lyrics in court is literally STUPID! They're judging someone's entire life based on a few random lines from a song . It's not fair to innocent people who just love music , and it's especially unfair to young black men who are already facing so many challenges .

Stop this nonsense! We need experts to come in and say "this is legit" or "this is not" when it comes to music lyrics . And if the connection is tenuous at best, then they should just leave it out of the trial . It's time for a change !

I'm so down with Baroness Chakrabarti's idea and I hope David Lammy gets on board too . We need to protect artistic freedom and make sure our courts are fair ! Let's get this movement going !