Hate speech laws violate constitution: Rights tribunal (Canada)

Canwest News Service ^ | 9/2/09

[Sammy67]

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ruled that Section 13, Canada's much-criticized human rights hate speech law, is an unconstitutional violation of the Charter right to free expression because of its penalty provisions.

The decision released Wednesday morning by tribunal chair Athanasios Hadjis appears to strip the Canadian Human Rights Commission of its controversial legal mandate to pursue hate on the Internet, which it has strenuously defended against complaints of censorship.

It also marks the first major failure of Section 13(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act, an anti-hate law that was conceived in the 1960s to target racist telephone hotlines, then expanded in 2001 to

[Antoninus]

Could it be that there is actually some sanity in the Aglophone world after all?

[American Silver Eagle]

Probably not.

[Mr. Jazzy]

FREEDOM!!!

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Nathan Zachary]

"The decision released Wednesday morning by tribunal chair Athanasios Hadjis appears to strip the Canadian Human Rights Commission of its controversial legal mandate to pursue hate on the Internet, which it has strenuously defended against complaints of censorship."

Good news for Connie at Free Dominion

[bamahead]

The decision released Wednesday morning by tribunal chair Athanasios Hadjis appears to strip the Canadian Human Rights Commission of its controversial legal mandate to pursue hate on the Internet, which it has strenuously defended against complaints of censorship.

OUTSTANDING!!!



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[bamahead]

HOORAY!!! So much for writing that letter now!

[exist]

If I was Canadian would my Ben and Jerry gay jokes but subject to prosecution?

[fanfan]

Wow! Thanks for the ping, Army Air Corps, and Bamahead!

[Unam Sanctam]

Good news!

[Clive]

-

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[LibertyRocks]

YES!!!! That has GOT to be great news for Canadian citizens — especially those we know of who have been targeted by this UNCONSTITUTIONAL fraud of a bureaucratic “court”!

Congrats to Canada — now if we could only get SCOTUS to crack down on OUR “hate crime/hate speech” bills... If this is not allowed according to CANADA’s Constitution, it is most CERTAINLY not Constitutional under OURS!

I hope Congress is paying attention...

[fanfan]

Up until now, yes.

[Peter Libra]

In actual fact the leading light of the so-called hate legislation was a Richard Warman- a lawyer. Warman was employed by the Canadian Human Rights Commission at one time. He then posted vile hate filled comments on a certain website. He used a name, which did not identify him. He posed as some twisted right wing fanatic in doing this.

He was outed when the number of the net used was traced to a bemused and totally uninvolved woman. He got off prosecution, because he was doing this in the cause of damning the site that the post was entered on. Thus setting it up for possible legal action.

A nasty piece of work indeed. Things just might be looking up.

[Publius6961]

Long overdue!

Speech is either free or it's not. Even moonbat idiots can see that, whether they act on that simple logic or not.

Personal abusive in-your face screaming is a whole issue altogether. But then, the anarchists, the "progressives" would be cited wholesale...

[Publius6961]

Warman was employed by the Canadian Human Rights Commission at one time. He then posted vile hate filled comments on a certain website.

Now this should prosecutable and severely punished. Wholesale attack on free speech by proxy. Why isn't that a crime? Whether in Canada or in USA townhall meetings.

[GOPJ]

“Thought crimes” have no place in a free country.

[paulycy]

And so shines a bright judicial deed in a weary PC world.