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The Forum > Article Comments > Section 18C and the law of defamation > Comments

Section 18C and the law of defamation : Comments

By Laurence Maher, published 6/5/2014

The vice of hate speech legislation is that it virtually makes it impossible to discuss certain topics at all.

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Thank you Laurence Maher for the level of debate OLO should aspire to on such important issues as freedom of speech. I suppose its unreal to expect that Chek ling, O sung wu and like recent contributors ,who use privilege to attack Australians as racists, would reply to you. And Suseonline and others of similar kind- hearted but misguided persuasion, I hope you ,too, will benefit.
Posted by Leslie, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 1:21:16 PM
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Excellent article,

Perhaps 18C and D should be amended to allow an offence of group libel, but with the same standards as normal defamation law applied to individuals. What is particularly worrying about the present situation is that truth is no defence and the question as whether a statement is reasonable or in good faith is left up to a possibly activist judge with no objective test.

The sorts of problems this can lead to are obvious in the Catch the Fire Ministries case under Victoria's religious vilification laws. One of the appeal judges made the point that completely truthful, balanced statements could arouse hatred or contempt against a religious group and therefore be banned under the act.

http://www.law.uq.edu.au/documents/qlsr/recent-issues/vol3/issue1/Klose_2010_vol3_i1.pdf
Posted by Divergence, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 1:55:48 PM
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...Impossible it is to legislate to force a "love" of fellow man. Once there were Christian ethics in this country Australia; a Country where respect was actually endemic: Replaced with obtrusive lawyer nonsense, which serves only to make the rich richer, and the poor to chase riches through litigation!
Posted by diver dan, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 3:40:00 PM
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Defamation law is more than adequate.

Section 18C is about censorship. It is the blunt weapon of political correctness to force the media especially to self-censor.
Posted by onthebeach, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 4:38:18 PM
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Divergence has summed it up, as well as anyone could!
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 5:20:45 PM
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Hypocrites....I just love them:).....If sh@t for brains was a money maker....All 8 billion of you should be what you think:)....but its not is it:)

Kat:)
Posted by ORIGINS OF MAN, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 8:09:41 PM
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