Ireland told to limit free speech with ‘draconian’ EU hate speech laws

The European Commission has threatened Ireland with legal action if it does not introduce further restrictions on free speech.

Ireland has been given two months from 7 May to comply with the European Union’s laws on hate speech, which is more extensive and wide-reaching than Ireland’s current rules, or else risk being referred to the EU’s Court of Justice.

MEP Michael McNamara asked the Commission to back down on imposing its hate speech laws on Ireland, calling the efforts “fundamentally misguided”.

Inciting resentment

In a speech in Brussels, McNamara told the Commission: “People resent the fact that they’re threatened with prosecution for expressing their views.”

He explained that changing the law would not stop hate speech, but would instead restrict legitimate free speech: “We now know that increasing proportions of populations across Europe are afraid to express their views, rightly or wrongly, but it doesn’t stop people or it doesn’t affect how people think in any way, it just affects what they’re afraid to say and what they resent.”

McNamara concluded that the EU’s hate speech laws are “simply not working” and urged the commission to “revisit the approach that they’re taking to hate speech laws and indeed to Ireland”.

‘Assault on Irish democracy’

Andrew Tettenborn, a professor of commercial law, wrote in Spiked magazine: “The Commission is demanding Ireland impose draconian restrictions on the right of its people to speak their minds. Yes, you read that right: according to the EU, Ireland has too much free speech.”

this threat should worry anyone who cares about free speech

He called the situation “a direct assault on Irish democracy”, noting that “Brussels is telling an elected Irish government to pass a law that its parliament has already rejected.”

The professor stated: “This threat should worry anyone who cares about free speech and democracy.”