India, Oct. 10 -- A British appeals court on Friday overturned the conviction of a man who had been found guilty of a religiously aggravated public order offence for burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London, media reports said.

The ruling, hailed by free speech advocates as a landmark moment, has reignited debate over the boundaries between lawful expression and hate speech in the United Kingdom.

Hamit Coskun, a 51-year-old man, was fined earlier this year for setting fire to a copy of the Quran during a protest outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge.

"We live in a liberal democracy," the judge said, adding: "Freedom of speech includes the ability to express opinions that disturb, offend or shock. Tha...