Freedom of Speech in the UK

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

Rollo..remind me to just consult you on legalities...you did put it all in perspective. Our Constitution doesn't say in specific words that free speech is protected in anyone clause, not clear like the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution, hence my confusion.

---

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charte...a:l_I-gb :s _1
PART I OF THE CONSTITUTION ACT, 1982
Fundamental freedoms
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.

Is the right to free speech included in the general condition of the fundamental freedom of expression? I don't know if that's been tested at law in Canada.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rollo

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charte...a:l_I-gb :s _1
PART I OF THE CONSTITUTION ACT, 1982
Fundamental freedoms
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.

Is the right to free speech included in the general condition of the fundamental freedom of expression? I don't know if that's been tested at law in Canada.

---

I see that...BUT...if that is the case, read the columnist Mark Steyn and others like Ezra Levant who were both hauled in front of the "Human rights Commission" at their expense to have their freedom of expression repressed because someone didn't agree with what they wrote.

See, There is this...but there is also laws that put muzzles on the free speech and cause people like Steyn and Levant to be hauled on the carpet. So...while I agree in principle with what I read, the reality is free speech is only respected when you are from the right side of the argument at times. Steyn and Levant are right of center pundits, and probably bring a lot of the opposition on themselves..but the STATE has gone after both of them in a sense to confront them on their writings. Both won their hearings..but they paid for it out of their pocket while the "offended" were not financially on the hook for this attack. What is more, the prosecution was gov't funded lawyers and the Gov't runs this kanagroo court. So in theory yes, we have free speech...but in reality..not always.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

I see that...BUT...if that is the case, read the columnist Mark Steyn and others like Ezra Levant who were both hauled in front of the "Human rights Commission" at their expense to have their freedom of expression repressed because someone didn't agree with what they wrote.... So in theory yes, we have free speech...but in reality..not always.

---

As was the case of other British civilians, Simon Sheppard and Stephen Whittle:

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun...-brits-jailed3

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AAReagles

As was the case of other British civilians, Simon Sheppard and Stephen Whittle:

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun...-brits-jailed3

---

Mark Steyn's column in "Macleans" today talked about that. You disagree with the politically correct, you get charged.

Another example was stated of some Muslim spray painting up a war memorial in England with stuff like "Islam will rule the world" was given only a 500 dollar fine and the judge said "there was no evidence this was religiously motivated".....really....so there you have it. Modern England will bend over backwards to not appear racist or against a group, unless you are a white male and you don't like the politically correct way of thinking...

Yeah, I know. It reminds me how folks in media/entertainment industry are afraid to confront the terrorist threats directed at the South Park guys.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AAReagles

Yeah, I know. It reminds me how folks in media/entertainment industry are afraid to confront the terrorist threats directed at the South Park guys.

---

It is way worse in Europe. Everyone got really scared when the Dutch filmmaker was murdered in cold blood on the streets of Amsterdam for having an anti-Muslim point of view. HE was an idiot in his bigotted way, but he didn't really say anything less silly than most Wahabist trained Muslims believe. But because he did a film that wasn't Muslim friendly (he pretty much said they were a scourge) he had to die. Now HE was an extremist. He didn't say things that I believe in, and he was as nutty as Hitler was in 1922....but he was just SAYING things....He had an OPINION.

Didn't deserve to die...but in the Netherlands, a lot of the "correct" crowd were bending over backwards to try to excuse this guy who killed him as a nut. Ok...just like the guy yelling "God Is great" before he blows himself up is a nut, or the US officer who shot up Fort Hood was just a nut, or the guy who put the bomb in NYC was just a nut. Ya..all nuts, and all believers in the most extreme tenets of Islam. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but 99% of the terrorists are Muslims, and some are just NOT willing to see this for what it is....

Many of Canada's Human Wrongs, I mean Rights Commissions are very left wing oriented and go after right wing pundits. In other words they basically go beyond their mandates which is supposed to be against 'hate speech' or discrimination, such as refusal to rent to or employ a person because of colour, handicap or religion.
Fire Depts. have been charged because they wouldn't hire handicapped people. Those cases were dropped before hearings but the Fire Depts. had to go to prelim. disclosure to explain why a physically handicapped person could not be a fireman. One person complaining was legally blind and another had only one hand!
They are not courts of law and can and are often very selective in what they allow as a defence. Not all are this way but several are.
More and more those hauled before these 'Commisions' are appealing their adverse ruling to the Courts and almost invarialbly the ruling is overturned. In a couple of cases the Judge(s) have been extremely critical of these Rights Commisions.
Unfortunately as Mark has pointed out the person hauled up is faced with paying his legal costs which are often horrendous. As far as I can remember no Court has made a Rights Commision liable for the individuals costs.

Getting back to the UK, what about this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...record-airport

From the article:

The vast majority of us like to consider ourselves decent people. We pay our taxes, hold doors open for others, stay out of trouble, that kind of thing. I certainly thought of myself this way, a 26-year-old man trying to forge a career and get on with life. So when I was arrested on 13 January at work by four police officers, it came as a bit of a shock.

The reason for the arrest was a tweet I had posted on the social network Twitter, which was deemed to constitute a bomb threat against Robin Hood airport in Doncaster: "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your **** together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!" .....


So who is terrorising who...?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fandango

Getting back to the UK, what about this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...record-airport

From the article:

The vast majority of us like to consider ourselves decent people. We pay our taxes, hold doors open for others, stay out of trouble, that kind of thing. I certainly thought of myself this way, a 26-year-old man trying to forge a career and get on with life. So when I was arrested on 13 January at work by four police officers, it came as a bit of a shock.

The reason for the arrest was a tweet I had posted on the social network Twitter, which was deemed to constitute a bomb threat against Robin Hood airport in Doncaster: "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your **** together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!" .....


So who is terrorising who...?

---

That sounds typical. Everyone overeacts and has no sense of humour about this stuff. You don't even make a joke about bombs or stuff blowing up within 500 yards of an airport. Everyone just needs to take a step back...