CRIMINAL LAW

HATE SPEECH ! ! ! !

A Parliamentary select committee began an inquiry into hate speech in late March 2005.  The purpose of the inquiry was to determine whether current legislation is adequate.

Government administration committee chairwoman Dianne Yates says the Bill of Rights protects people from racial attacks, but not verbal attacks on the basis of a person's religion. She says the committee will examine the threshold for hate speeches, when it should be applied, and when a joke becomes so bad it prevents someone from functioning properly.

Hate speech legislation from other countries, such as Canada, will be examined.

We think that some people are a little woolly in their thinking and are not appreciating the distinction between speech which incites law breaking or actual harm AND speech which is simply very nasty.

You will read and hear a lot about hate speech this year. This is the term given to nasty statements made against one particular group in society. 

You want examples?   Well .  .  . 

"Niggers should fry"

"Homos are filthy"

"Catholic dogs" 

"Dumb Maoris"

"Mean Scotsmen"

"Honkie bastard"

 .  .  .   would all qualify.

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