Ok, for those just joining the human race.
Facts:
Mark Steyn is a journalist from Canada, now living in the USA.
He sometimes writes for Maclean's, a magazine in Canada.
Canada, tired of unrestricted Free Speech, wrote a nice little law that makes it a crime to:
Mark Steyn wrote a book, America Alone
Maclean's published an excerpt of the book
They have been brought in front of the Human Rights Tribunal because they published something that, "is likely to expose a person or a group or class of persons to hatred or contempt"
If you violate this law you can be tried via an executive committee know as a Human Rights Tribunal. (These are executive branch of government organizations, because, well, a Judicial proceeding has to follow those pesky rules of evidence thingys)
Evidence may be admitted to a Tribunal that may not be considered evidence in a court.
If the Tribunal orders it, they may award money to the complainer to compensate for 'injury to dignity, feelings and self respect'
So What? to follow
Mark Steyn's case is just beginning and is being liveblogged.
Facts:
Mark Steyn is a journalist from Canada, now living in the USA.
He sometimes writes for Maclean's, a magazine in Canada.
Canada, tired of unrestricted Free Speech, wrote a nice little law that makes it a crime to:
7
(1) A person must not publish, issue or display, or cause to be
published, issued or displayed, any statement, publication, notice,
sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that
(a) indicates discrimination or an intention to discriminate against a person or a group or class of persons, or
(b) is likely to expose a person or a group or class of persons to hatred or contempt
because of the race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation or age of that person or that group or class of persons.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a private communication or to a communication intended to be private
Mark Steyn wrote a book, America Alone
Maclean's published an excerpt of the book
They have been brought in front of the Human Rights Tribunal because they published something that, "is likely to expose a person or a group or class of persons to hatred or contempt"
If you violate this law you can be tried via an executive committee know as a Human Rights Tribunal. (These are executive branch of government organizations, because, well, a Judicial proceeding has to follow those pesky rules of evidence thingys)
Evidence may be admitted to a Tribunal that may not be considered evidence in a court.
If the Tribunal orders it, they may award money to the complainer to compensate for 'injury to dignity, feelings and self respect'
So What? to follow
Mark Steyn's case is just beginning and is being liveblogged.
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