I can understand her tribe wanting to support Gillian Triggs and honour her in some way, but to award her for her contribution to free speech would appear positively Orwellian.

But that is what Liberty Victoria has done https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/03/human-rights-commissioner-gillian-triggs-wins-voltaire-freedom-of-speech-award

I can't think of one thing that Triggs has done that has advanced the cause of Free Speech, but I can think of lots of things she has done that have diminished it. Starting with the QUT students case. And Soutphommasane's persecution of Bill Leak happened on her watch.

But no doubt there is a case to be mounted, so I thought I'd throw it up here for comment.

GrahamY,

I saw that yesterday evening after being alerted to the possibility (it had in fact already happened) by a post on OLO.

My thoughts immediately turned to the plight of the QUT students.

I can only put it down to Group Think, which is common regrettably.

http://www.psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm

I wonder how each of those involved in the decision is feeling now?

Quote "I wonder how each of those involved in the decision is feeling now?"

Probably as stupid as the idiots that gave Obama a Nobel peace prize.

Awards are given for a reason. We may not always
understand them and of course they can cause
controversy amongst many who may feel that the
person receiving the award is not worthy of it.

In the case of former President Obama's Nobel
Peace Prize - that he received after being in office
for only a very short time - the award was not for
what he achieved - but as an encouragement for what he
could achieve and strive for (like peace in the
Middle East).

As far as the Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs
and her award is concerned?

I know that a group of
50 academics have pointed out that independent public
office holders are an important part of modern
democratic societies.

The Australian Bar Association and
the Law Council of Australia have similarly argued that
the personal and vicious attacks on Triggs by former
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, George Brandis and his
colleagues, and many others, amounted to an
underpinning of justice and the protection of human rights.

Dr Binoy Kampmark writes in an article in the
Eureka Street magazine - that "the sentiments expressed by
Brandis and his colleagues is seemingly -
that a human rights
organisation sanctioned by government legislation is only
doing its job if it whitewashes government policies, functioning
as an executive mouthpiece rather than its scrutineer".

He goes on to say that, "in circumstances where rights and
their abuse requires discussion and means of redress
stinging attacks on the Australian Human Rights Commission and
its President serve as sinister echoes of a vision Australians
should be wary of."

I don't know much about the achievements of Gillian Triggs.
All I can recall is that her work and focus on issues such
as the inquiry into children in detention has been critical.
I believe that the attention that her report garnered in
that area, forced the government later into action in
removing children from detention. That in itself would be
a great achievement.

The reasons for her award are explained in the link below:

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/03/human-rights-commissioner-gillian-triggs-wins-voltaire-freedom-of-speech-award

GY Art they say is in the eye of the beholder, minute bits of script are in my eye. Put it both together and you can come up with two dozen different meanings. The most meaningless piece of daily humor
can ig'night into catastrophic consequences because of global access to what is accepted as humor for someone.

The world is not ready : for home grown humor. it's a multi national thing. and that is a bigger problem than FTA'S which are easy.

Hi Foxy, not one of your points relates to anything she has done to further free speech.

Chris Kenny expresses sentiments similar to mine, but more eloquently:

"This is the ultimate sellout of the human rights crowd. Triggs is lauded not for adhering to their lofty principles but for being on the right side of their partisan political debates. Look at her record: she delayed an inquiry into children in detention for 18 months for political reasons; pursued three university students for years over innocuous Facebook posts; allowed the commission to spruik for complaints that were then taken up against cartoonist Bill Leak; and has repeatedly misled and been forced to correct her evidence to various parliamentary inquiries." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/chris-kenny/an-absurd-twist-on-voltaires-edict/news-story/39921f72584739c98f46fc590efdfd7a

I'm friendly with two former human rights commissioners, and Triggs couldn't hold a candle to either of them.