Freedom under threat in Ireland

Ireland’s hate crime Bill will restrict free speech and criminalise ordinary people for expressing politically incorrect views. This is the warning from independent politicians alarmed by efforts by the political elite to stamp out criticism of the mass immigration which is rapidly changing the face of Ireland.

The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill is set to significantly expand and replace existing hate crime legislation in Ireland. It includes a new offence of inciting hatred against others based on their protected characteristics which carries a possible five-year prison sentence.

Speaking on The Tonight Show, Independent Senator Senator Rónán Mullen warned that the legislation, currently being considered by the Seanad, is far too broad, and lacks clarity in key areas which could lead to people censoring themselves for fear of prosecution.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has committed to enact the legislation this year – more than a year behind schedule. She said that the legislation’s progress had been slowed due to concerns about its impact, which she dismissed as the result of “misinformation”.

She has claimed the Bill would not stifle free speech, but Sen Mullen said it was “remarkable” that in a piece of criminal legislation covering contested areas of ‘hate speech’, the word ‘hatred’ remained undefined. "The Government has gone to the extreme end of using criminal law to intimidate ordinary people", he warns.

“People are entitled to clarity, especially in this day and age about what they can say and what they can’t, because there’s a great push on to curtail people’s freedom of expression, particularly around controversial areas, such as gender”.

Noting that the Bill says that ‘gender’ includes “other than those of male and female” he highlighted that parents, feminists and people concerned about transgender participation in sport or access to female-only spaces, could be caught by the vagueness of the law.

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