Law on Blasphemous Libel to be amended

[adamirer]

^^ Indeed. The sensible thing to do is amend the constitution to remove all reference to blasphemy rather than to legislate your way vaguely around it. They could easily do it at minimal expense by having a referendum on it at the same time as Lisbon II.

Exactly what i said on another thread, the excuse given this am that it was too dear, is just ridiculous. Both referendums on the same day, easy peasy.

[Christine Murray]

his predessors banned the art of roualt from our national gallery because of this catholic painter's depiction of the passion. government is not omniscent, l have a copy of that image in my study. great art and indeed the apocrypha of religion is not subject to legalese.

[Cato]

If he wants to make a law for the sake of making a law then why not just make the maximum fine of €1.

He's an a$s.

[Demotruk]

Not good enough, too vague. I wouldn't want to have a conservative judge decide what is of "genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value", or any judge really. While it's vague enough to allow anything to be defendable, it's also vague enough for a judge to come down on whatever he doesn't see value in (even if others do).

[Alterego]

Not good enough, too vague. I wouldn't want to have a conservative judge decide what is of "genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value", or any judge really. While it's vague enough to allow anything to be defendable, it's also vague enough for a judge to come down on whatever he doesn't see value in (even if others do).

The 'reasonable person' bit should concern you loons

[marmurr1916]

The 'reasonable person' bit should concern you loons

'Reasonable people' like those who called for the publishers of the Mohammed cartoons to be beheaded?

[slx]

Well, if the Greens don't stop this going through they might as well just bin their own party's constitution too and join the FF back benches.

[tmesis2008]

....a defence for proceedings for an offence under this section for the defendant to prove that a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value in the matter to which the offence relates.

So, Dermot Ahern proposes to turn the law on it's head. Look at that:

GUILTY until proven INNOCENT!

I would have voted for the Greens before this matter. If they vote for this legislation they are dead to me. I will never, ever give them a preference again.

[Alterego]

'Reasonable people' like those who called for the publishers of the Mohammed cartoons to be beheaded?

The minister referred to people like you as 'hysterical' easily whipped up by a media frenzy - an appropriate analysis.

[slx]

so, dermot ahern proposes to turn the law on it's head. Look at that:

Guilty until proven innocent!

I would have voted for the greens before this matter. If they vote for this legislation they are dead to me. I will never, ever give them a preference again.

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