Publishing an old journal with possibly offensive content
<p>I am in the process of transcribing my Grandfathers journal from Mesopotamia in 1920-22.  In it he uses mildly derogatory terms regarding local population which would undoubtedly not be used today. They could be considered racially offensive comments by some but I don't believe the comments to be grossly offensive.
My intention is to publish them on a website.  Is that likely to be a legal problem?</p>

<p>No.  Even if the comments were grossly offensive, there wouldn't be a legal problem.</p>

<p>There could be a problem if the comments were such as to be "inciting religious hatred" (which is illegal, see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_and_Religious_Hatred_Act_2006" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006</a>), but it doesn't sound as though that is an issue.</p>

<p>Note that if you are publishing the journal on a website, the website may have its own terms of service which you will have to comply with, and these may be more restrictive.  Having said that, I would expect that an introductory note warning that, in common with most of his contemporaries, your grandfather was a racist when he wrote this journal would be enough.</p>

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