Free speech has potentially been taken down another peg in NZ with a woman arrested for a Facebook post about the Christchurch shootings. The woman has been arrested on suspicion of "inciting racial disharmony" after a message was posted to her Facebook page. She faces a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment or a NZ$7000 fine and living in a society that condemns free speech. However, given the recent ruling in Australia that 'Muslim' is not a 'race' she may get off given that the law she is accused of breaking is of one who “publishes or distributes written matter which is threatening, abusive, or insulting” to other people . This means that it may very well be legal at this time to insult people of a specific religion.
Decades ago they relied on neighbors to find subversives; now they just check social media.
[Ed.: The above is a paraphrase of the linked-to story, not a direct quote, and with submitter's editorialising left in. -- FP (honouring people's right to free speech ;-) )]
Also covered by the NZ Herald.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by lars on Saturday March 30 2019, @01:47AM (1 child)
One wonders if the court documents will then be redacted. How will you even know if you have crossed the line in what you can say? Scary stuff.
(Score: 2) by https on Saturday March 30 2019, @04:57PM
Courts regularly publish things that are not acceptable elsewhere - it's what they deal in. Consider libel and slander at a minimum. Context matters, so no, one doesn't wonder.
The easist way to know is by listening to themselves. I don't think anyone who's ever said "bomb the boats" has had any doubt about which side of the line in their rear view mirror they are on.
Offended and laughing about it.