Campaigners urge UK ministers to make music lyrics inadmissible in court

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.

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

I mean, can you imagine being a young dude with a rap playlist and suddenly getting pulled over for being part of a gang because the cop saw your favorite artist's lyrics on Instagram? Like, what even is that? 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 .

I mean, think about it - if you love listening to Kendrick Lamar, does that really mean youre involved in gang activity? Not necessarily. Its all about context and how we choose to interpret lyrics in the first place. The fact that police can flag appearances in music videos as evidence of involvement with gangs is just a clear case of stereotype perpetuation .

If theres any issue here its not with people who create this kind of content, but rather with our justice system and how it treats creatives. What if someone writes a song about their personal struggles or social issues? Should they be judged for that in court?

I think the proposed amendment is a good start to address this problem. Requiring police to prove lyrics are directly related to a case before using them as evidence makes sense. And having independent expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions would also help prevent stereotyping.

I'm all about fairness in justice, you know? The way they're using music lyrics as evidence is just not cool . 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 .

I think the amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill is a step in the right direction . 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 .

It's not just about racism, though that's definitely part of it . 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 .

Let's hope the amendment gets some support from Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy . This is a chance for us to make things right and create a more fair justice system

I'm all about efficiency in life, right? So, if we're gonna use something as a piece of evidence, let's make sure it's actually relevant . 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 .

I'm loving the idea of having expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions being independent - 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 .

I'm totally down for some reform here . If the government is gonna make some changes to prevent police from using lyrics as evidence, then I say let's do it ! It's about time we focus on fairness and accuracy in our justice system .

honestly its like what even is next with this whole lyric thing they literally cant just say no to using some random song from 10 yrs ago that was played at a party one time lol thats soooo discriminatory towards young black guys who love music just like everyone else why shouldnt we be able to enjoy our own tunes without being judged on them btw im all for change and reform but we need to make sure its not just about "literally" vs "figurative" whats the diff in the first place anyway

I'm all about fairness in justice system , 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 . I mean, what if the song is literally about nothing related to crime? Does that make them guilty by association? It's like saying, "Hey, you listened to this one song about a fictional gang, so now we know you're involved." No way!

I think it's high time for us to rethink how music evidence is handled in courtrooms. The use of lyrics and videos has become super common, but that doesn't mean it's always fair or accurate . We need some clear guidelines and safeguards to prevent stereotyping and biases, especially when it comes to people from underrepresented communities .

Let's hope the amendment passes and we start seeing a shift towards more nuanced and reasonable approaches to music evidence in court . It's time to think about how our justice system can be fairer, not just for everyone, but for all of us who love music !

come on guys, how can using someone's favorite song against them in court even be a thing? its like, imagine if they used your old school playlist as evidence against you lol. anyway, seriously, this is such a big issue, especially with the racist undertones of it all. using lyrics to "prove" someone's involvement with gangs or crime is just plain stupid, and the fact that it's still happening in 2025 is mind-boggling 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 totally get why they're pushing for this change, you know? It's just common sense that we shouldn't judge someone based on something as subjective as their musical tastes. I mean, who are the authorities to decide what music is "cool" or what kind of person likes that kind of music?

It's like, if my grandma loves ABBA and you assume she must be a bit dodgy because of it, well... that's just not fair, right? 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.

So yeah, if we can make sure police have to prove that these lyrics are literally related to the case before using them as evidence, I think that'd be a great start. And it's about time we had some safeguards against stereotyping and all that.

I just read about the UK campaign to stop using music lyrics as evidence in court . 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 . It's just so unfair and racist. The campaign group Art Not Evidence is pushing for an amendment to the law which makes sense, but I'm still not optimistic about it happening anytime soon .

I'm so down with this idea . Using music lyrics as evidence in court just doesn't seem right. I mean, what if someone loves a certain song because it's their favorite or from a happy time in their life? Does that mean they're guilty of something? It's just not fair. And yeah, it can be super unfair to young black men, like Baroness Shami Chakrabarti said. They get stigmatized and judged based on the music they like. We should be focusing on actual evidence, not their musical taste. The idea of having independent expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions is also a good one . It'll make sure that these cases aren't just about stereotypes or racism. Let's hope this amendment gets passed soon!

I'm not sure why people are so against using lyrics as evidence lol . I mean, if someone's rap lyrics are actually saying they're involved with gangs or something, then that's a red flag right? But just because someone likes Kendrick Lamar doesn't make them a gangster . 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 .

I think the cops have to be able to get creative with their evidence collection, you feel me? . 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 .

I think its a bit crazy that police are using song lyrics as evidence in court now. Like, if someone has a poster of their fave band on their wall, does that mean theyre involved with gangs? It just seems unfair and discriminatory towards young black men, who are already facing so many challenges.

I love the idea of making it so that police have to prove lyrics are directly related to a case before using them. That way, we can make sure its not just about stigmatizing people for their musical tastes . And having independent expert witnesses on music and art in criminal prosecutions would be a good step too.

Its also interesting that the campaign group Art Not Evidence is pushing for this change. I think it shows that people are starting to realize how unfair this practice is and are taking action to make things right .

I think its wild how some lyrics can get taken out of context like thats not fair to artists & creatives, they just wanna express themselves thru music ...like my friend whose rap skills got him into trouble cuz he was using them in a school project not even related to any crime. He had to clear his name and now hes super passionate about this whole issue, its not right that ppl get judged based on what they listen to or wear

I'm all about fairness and common sense when it comes to using art in our lives... or in court . I think this amendment is a step in the right direction, really? Using music lyrics as evidence can be super unfair and lead to some pretty biased outcomes, especially when it comes to certain communities. It's like, just because someone likes a particular artist doesn't mean they're into gang life or anything like that .

I also love the idea of having expert witnesses who are independent and not influenced by stereotypes. That way, we can get a more accurate picture of what's going on in court cases. It's time to rethink how music evidence is used and make sure it's fair for everyone, you know?

I'm like totally confused about this... how can a song lyric be used as "evidence" of someone's involvement with gangs or crime? Like, doesn't that sound super unfair? 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? It just seems like a slippery slope where someone's musical taste becomes their "crime". And it's only affecting young black men, which is already super problematic . Why can't the police focus on actual evidence instead of using something so subjective? Like, what's next? Using emojis in tweets as proof of conspiracy theories?

I'm so down with Art Not Evidence , 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 . That's not fair at all.

And it's especially problematic when it comes down to racial biases . 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 .

So yeah, I'm all for that amendment and having expert witnesses on music and art be independent . And procedural safeguards against stereotyping? Absolutely necessary . It's time for us to rethink how we handle music evidence in courtrooms and make sure it doesn't perpetuate racism or biases .

And I love what Baroness Shami Chakrabarti said about this being "ridiculous" , because that's exactly what it is! We need to take a step back and think about whether using someone's musical taste as evidence really makes sense .