“Doesn't France have some sort of law like this, that keeps certain things from being published?” well, yes and no. The French laws forbid any speeches spreading hate and all to kill other people. It was aimed to the extreme-rights and the “negationists” (of the Holocaust).

The British law was to protect the critics against religions, and offences. This law gave too much power to the religious in allowing them to impose their view on what was an offence or not.

If I say that I think that all religions are just superstition that could offend a believer and I could be suit in the UK for that if an imam, priest or other cleric decides to be offended.

With the French law, it is just an opinion and I am entitled to express it.