{"id":41919,"date":"2024-09-24T15:44:41","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T13:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=41919"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:29:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T13:29:11","slug":"irish-hate-speech-bill-censorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/commentary\/irish-hate-speech-bill-censorship","title":{"rendered":"\u00ab\u00a0Hate Speech\u00a0\u00bb Element Dropped from Censorial Irish Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Inform yourself about the Irish \u201chate speech\u201d bill, and you\u2019ll find the censorial truth. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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UPDATE 21 September 2024: <\/strong>In a win for free speech, the Irish government dropped \u00ab\u00a0hate speech\u00a0\u00bb from proposed legislation. ADF International briefed Irish lawmakers on the dangers and, in June, gathered free speech advocates in Dublin to oppose the draconian \u201chate speech\u201d bill.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Censorship. <\/em>It\u2019s an elusive term animated throughout history with growing relevance today. \u201cHate speech\u201d laws loom large over Western political and social conversations. Blasphemy laws criminalize faith-based speech and belief in countries like Nigeria and Pakistan. By now, almost everyone is aware of censorship<\/a>.<\/p>

Some may think of George Orwell\u2019s 1984<\/em>; others, Ray Bradbury\u2019s Fahrenheit 451<\/em>. Censorship takes many forms \u2013 like book burning and imposing \u201cnewspeak\u201d \u2013 but Ireland<\/a> now leads the dystopian cause with its hotly debated \u201chate speech\u201d bill.<\/p>

And so, as the state-driven tide of censorship sweeps the world, Europe stands at the forefront of the ongoing conversation. Why? Because almost every Western nation has introduced \u201chate speech\u201d laws enabling authorities to enforce penalties for certain speech they deem unpopular or unorthodox.<\/p>

These laws are introduced under the guise of combatting \u00ab\u00a0a rise of hate\u00a0\u00bb, or offensive speech that can make people feel insulted or uncomfortable. But criminalizing speech is not the answer. Rather, allowing more robust speech that facilitates open debate instead. That\u2019s why we stand against so-called \u201chate speech\u201d laws<\/a> like the proposed one in Ireland.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cHate Speech\u201d Dropped From New Law \u2013 What It Means<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thankfully, the Irish government has indicated it will not proceed with the most censorial elements of the proposed \u00ab\u00a0Hate Speech\u00a0\u00bb Bill.<\/p>

With the world watching, the people of Ireland said ‘no’ to state censorship, and it’s working.<\/p>

The Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences Bill 2022, currently stuck in the Irish Senate, will proceed without the draconian speech elements that had previously been advanced. Remember, incitement to hatred remains illegal under existing law.<\/p>

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has recognized that there is a lack of consensus on the proposed bill’s \u00ab\u00a0hate speech\u00a0\u00bb restrictions.<\/p>

The Minister for Justice is reported as saying: \u00ab\u00a0The incitement to hatred element [of the bill] does not have a consensus, so that will be dealt with at a later stage.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>

Pro-censorship actors may seek to bring in a separate new law in the future.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Desbloquear contenido<\/a> Aceptar el servicio requerido y desbloquear los contenidos<\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Irish \u201chate speech\u201d bill seeks to criminalize the possession of material \u201clikely\u201d to incite hatred. This includes memes and photos saved on devices, with up to five years of jail time. Yes, photos on personal devices. Yet, there is no clear definition of what \u201chate\u201d entails.<\/p>

Therefore, this is a dangerous trajectory. ADF International highlights the dangers of the \u201chate speech\u201d bill while briefing Irish lawmakers on how to uphold freedom of speech<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What are \u201cHate Speech\u201d Laws?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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So-called \u201chate speech\u201d laws are ambiguously worded laws that criminalize certain speech beyond what is acceptable in a democratic society.<\/p>

Despite having no basis in international law, all European Union Member States have vague and subjective \u201chate speech\u201d laws.\u202fThe United Nations<\/a>, EU<\/a>, and Council of Europe<\/a> concur that \u201chate speech\u201d lacks a universally agreed-upon definition. Nonetheless, the European Commission<\/a> seeks to make \u201chate speech\u201d an EU-wide crime on the same list as trafficking and terrorism.<\/p>

These laws, with the wrong police and prosecutor, can be weaponized against any person and any form of speech. Thus, explicitly violating the state\u2019s obligation to protect free speech.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Do \u201cHate Speech\u201d Laws Deter Hate?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The short answer is no. But because \u201chate speech<\/a>\u201d laws rely on vague terms such as \u2018insult,\u2019 \u2018belittle,\u2019 and \u2018offend,\u2019 they are inconsistently interpreted and arbitrarily enforced. Oftentimes, the threat of serious criminal penalties accompanies charges.<\/p>

Rather than combat hate, the criminalization of speech based on subjective criteria creates a culture of fear and censorship.<\/p>

An offence is considered hateful in reference to the hearer or reader, making it subjective with little to no regard for the content of the speech itself.\u202fThey are incompatible with free societies.\u202f<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How the Proposed Irish \"Hate Speech\" Law is Different than Others<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Irish \u201chate speech\u201d bill would move the needle further. If passed, we could expect commonplace prosecutions like P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen\u2019s<\/a> for posting a Bible verse<\/a> on \u201cX\u201d in 2019 about her biblical worldview on marriage and sexuality. In fact, Ireland\u2019s censorial law would go even further than Finland\u2019s.<\/p>

We\u2019re ramping up public advocacy to expose the unprecedented dangers of what the Irish government is doing. All have the right to live and speak the truth without fear of censorship or retaliation. That\u2019s why we\u2019re asking Irish lawmakers to uphold their obligation to protect free speech under international human rights law.<\/p>

Consequently, the Irish \u201chate speech\u201d bill has two major facets that other laws like Finland\u2019s do not include. For example:<\/h6>