Comments made on social media by author JK Rowling are not being treated as criminal, Police Scotland has said.
The controversial Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on Monday, making it a criminal offence to make a comment stirring up hatred based on a persons disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. Stirring up hatred on race, colour, nationality or ethnicity was already illegal under British law.
More than 3,000 complaints have already been made to Police Scotland, some of which about Rowling's comments on X.
She described several transgender women as men, including convicted prisoners, trans activists and other public figures.
Police Scotland has confirmed they received complaints, but they won't take any action.
In the wake of the news, Rowling posted: "I hope every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be reassured by this announcement, and I trust that all women - irrespective of profile or financial means - will be treated equally under the law.
"If they go after any woman for simply calling a man a man, I'll repeat that woman's words and they can charge us both at once."