y*****g 发帖数: 1822 | 1 Hate speech case reaches Supreme Court
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2011/10/11/wha
Hate speech case reaches Supreme Court
CBC News Posted: Oct 11, 2011 7:52 PM CST Last Updated: Oct 12, 2011 5:30 PM
CST
The Supreme Court of Canada on Wednesday heard arguments in the case of a
man accused of hate speech for distributing flyers in Saskatchewan
condemning homosexuality.
Bill Whatcott was charged with promoting hate after he distributed flyers in
Regina and Saskatoon in 2001 and 2002 calling homosexuals sodomites and
child molesters.
"Our children will pay the price in disease, death, abuse and ultimately
eternal judgment if we do not say no to the sodomite desire to socialize
your children into accepting something that is clearly wrong," one of the
pamphlets said.
Whatcott was found guilty by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal in 2005
and ordered to pay $17,500 to the complainants, but the Saskatchewan Court
of Appeal overturned the ruling in 2010. Whatcott argued he was opposed to
gay activity, not gay people.
The Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear the case between Whatcott and the
Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. The hearing Wednesday continued with
interventions from interested third-parties.
"At home and abroad the 20th century is rife with examples of extreme speech
and related violence that was left unchecked and unchallenged to terrible
and tragic ends," David Arnot, chief commissioner of the commission, said at
a news conference Tuesday.
Whatcott's lawyer, Thomas Schuck, wants the court system to lose its right
to rule on hate speech. He says it's almost impossible to define what hate
is.
The court's decision likely won't be known for months.
ps. Bill Whatcott " 曾经 "是一名同性恋人士。 |
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