‘A new tribunal to fight cyber-bullying would have the power to name and shame offenders.
It would also be able to silence cyber bullies by issuing “takedown” orders.
A new criminal offence for publishing offensive comments on Facebook and Twitter and sending hurtful text messages would also be introduced under the Law Commission proposals….’ source
Slice it anyway you like, this is an arrogant and unlawful attack on free speech. A “hurtful” text message to become a criminal offence, FFS! And who gets to define what’s “hurtful”? Why, the “victim”, of course. Which would be yet another example of the lame bastards who have been brought up to believe that life ought to be “fair” and free of pain. Politicians have learned well how to use that as a lever for more control.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.”
CrusaderRabbit
It is another case of jobs for the girls – it will pay better than than teaching kindergaten but it is effectively the same achieved by treating adults as though they were still kindy kids.
Exactly, Andrei. And everybody’s right to free speech is but a minor consideration to these nazis. :rant
(Mind you, a “right” that’s the government’s to grant or withold is no right at all)
The people who propose it being a criminal offence to hurt someone’s feelings *despise* those who would speak freely. The desperately crave laws restricting what they deem political or hurtful speech, and to put in place a Stasi-style monitoring system to ensure anyone critical of the government or those it deems “victims” or “protected classes” is dragged before the Courts and punished severely.
Also, just two small corrections in your statement there, KG.
First, it is not an “arrogant and unlawful” attack on Free Speech. It would be in a country governed by the Rule of Law, where freedom of speech were protected as a Right conferred by a Creator. New Zealand is not such a country. It is a Parliamentary Dictatorship of *exactly* the type the American Founding Fathers were so desperate to avoid. Parliament can pass any law it likes, provided is given the Stamp of Approval of a majority of the 122 cockroaches elected once every 3 years.
Second, while you’re right that there are people (sadly a growing number of them) who “believe that life ought to be “fair” and free of pain”, a life that is “fair” will most definitely NOT be a life that is “free of pain”. In fact, were fairness to rule, most people’s lives would be a LOT more painful!