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Articles on Freedom of speech

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There is concern among some Liberals that the 18C issue will lose them votes in seats with large ethnic communities. Sam Mooy/AAP

Section 18C change appears doomed in Senate

Malcolm Turnbull has announced a watering down of the controversial Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Peter Dutton casts himself as championing freedom of speech. Dean Lewins/AAP

Free speech? It depends who you are, in Peter Dutton’s view

Peter Dutton has advised Alan Joyce and other business executives who have written to Malcolm Turnbull urging action on same-sex marriage to “stick to their knitting”. It’s advice some in the government…
Digital information should be private and secure. Digital communications via shutterstock.com

Should cybersecurity be a human right?

Recent developments at the United Nations and the G-20 suggest that the well-known human rights to privacy and freedom of expression may soon be formally extended to online communications.
Section 18C goes further than the laws of many other democracies by applying to ‘offensive’ and ‘insulting’ speech. AAP/Lukas Coch

We should follow other countries’ lead on hate speech by changing 18C

A minor change, substituting ‘vilify’ for ‘offend’ and ‘insult’, would bring Section 18C more in line with similar laws in other democracies without undermining its effectiveness.
Academic Roz Ward was temporarily suspended from La Trobe University for her comments about the Australian flag on Facebook. Richard Milnes/Newzulu

University changes to academic contracts are threatening freedom of speech

A new clause being embedded in a number of university contracts attempts to restrict academics from speaking freely in public debate about issues that are outside their area of research.
The cover of the ‘Weekly Standard’, February 2016.

There should be no monkeying about with hate speech

Two recent controversial cartoons depicting people as apes have raised an important question: what are the legal and philosophical distinctions between harm and offence?

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