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Old 03-26-2010, 03:32 AM   #1
Céline
Avalon Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,285
Default Free speech versus hate speech

The Charter allows all Canadians to freely express their thoughts and opinions, it also protects everyone's right to be treated fairly, without discrimination — a point that "freedom of speech" advocates sometimes ignore.

Hate Propaganda vs. Free Speech
In a high-profile case in 1990, the Supreme Court of Canada weighed James Keegstra’s rights to free speech against the offence of wilfully promoting hatred under the Criminal Code. As a teacher, Keegstra made racist comments in the classroom.

The court ruled that under section 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a limitation of free expression is justified in a democratic society. The court stated that since hate propaganda harms us all, then stopping its spread helps people from different backgrounds to live together — and may even reduce violence in Canada. For these reasons, the Supreme Court said that section 1 of the Charter "saves" the crime of wilfully promoting hatred. In other words, the court said that that Keegstra had in fact broken the law.

Full Text: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms : http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/


Ann Coulter's style of free speech NOt welcome in Ottawa ...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/stor...er-speech.html
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