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In my country there is:
1) No constitutional guarantee to freedom of speech - the first article of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms limits all Charter Rights to what is "reasonable". And the question of what is or is not reasonable is for the courts to decide.
2) A difference between civil and criminal authority; being called to a civil tribunal such as a provincial Human Rights Commission is not the same as being hauled up on criminal charges.
3) Different and distinct standards of proof and sanctions for civil and criminal proceedings.
And yet we still manage to have a free press and a lively exchange of opinions in the public sphere. In fact, it seems to me that the press in Canada have far greater access to government information and elected officials than their American counterparts - even if it's only reporting on what the Prime Minister said or didn't say during Question Period. In fact, the move to limit journalistic access to Crown ministers and end the tradition of the Parliament Hill press "scrum" after question period have come from our current neo-conservative Prime Minister.
So please, would the next conservative commentator just waiting to post his thoughts about those nasty Canadian hate speech laws that are ripping awayour their freedoms OMGWTFBBQ!! please either do some basic research or fuck off (preferably the latter).
No love, me
1) No constitutional guarantee to freedom of speech - the first article of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms limits all Charter Rights to what is "reasonable". And the question of what is or is not reasonable is for the courts to decide.
2) A difference between civil and criminal authority; being called to a civil tribunal such as a provincial Human Rights Commission is not the same as being hauled up on criminal charges.
3) Different and distinct standards of proof and sanctions for civil and criminal proceedings.
And yet we still manage to have a free press and a lively exchange of opinions in the public sphere. In fact, it seems to me that the press in Canada have far greater access to government information and elected officials than their American counterparts - even if it's only reporting on what the Prime Minister said or didn't say during Question Period. In fact, the move to limit journalistic access to Crown ministers and end the tradition of the Parliament Hill press "scrum" after question period have come from our current neo-conservative Prime Minister.
So please, would the next conservative commentator just waiting to post his thoughts about those nasty Canadian hate speech laws that are ripping away
No love, me
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