Tag: Free speech
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Labour is consolidating the criminalisation of insults
I pay very careful attention to what Minister for Culture Owen Bonnici says about what he considers “free speech” because his proposed provisions that have been rushed to parliament without consultation on exceptions for artists are intended to consolidate the criminalisation of insults. Owen Bonnici is lying to the public and Labour is going about…
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So, you can’t even insult people now
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and Minister of Interior Byron Camilleri have argued that Malta’s Electronic Communications Act can be used to sue people in court over insults. Responding to a question by a MaltaToday journalist, Owen Bonnici said that his question was “very impertinent”. Karl Azzopardi was questioning Bonnici whether the new legal amendment which…
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Free speech should not be limited to artistic expression
The rushed reforms being tabled in parliament by the government in reaction to recent criminal reports on artists filed by Gordon Manche are being worded very specifically. The Labour government is making it very clear that its intention is to preserve “artistic freedom of expression”, and by default, this excludes criminal libel. Owen Bonnici’s comments…
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The Labour Party is going to implement very authoritarian laws against free speech
It is important to note that as the government will be addressing a problem of its own making so that nutjobs like Gordon Manche don’t file criminal reports on satire, the government has also presented the most authoritarian press reform in Maltese history. The government’s press reform will include these points: – The absolute right…
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The Labour Party hasn’t had enough in trying to restrict free speech
The Labour Party is still trying to restrict free speech with the fake story that it wants to “reduce bullying”. We had removed criminal libel under Joseph Muscat’s administration and now they want to introduce it again. Robert Abela failed to get his press reform in, now they are trying to re-introduce criminal libel via…
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Authoritarianism loading
The first major reform that Robert Abela attempted to do last year when he got elected was a direct attack on the press. He failed to get his authoritarian reforms passed after all of the independent press rejected the proposed reform. So far, Robert’s plan to divide the press has also failed although he will…
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Smoke weed, but go to jail for your opinion
There is one way in which Robert Abela has distinguished himself very well and it is with his utter and total contempt for free speech. The partial decriminalisation of marijuana was used by LAbour to portray itself as the progressive force in the country, but when it comes to fundamentals Labour is turning into an…
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Robert Abela will fine you €30,000 and send you two years in jail for insulting him on Facebook
The government is currently using the excuse of “cyberbullying” to introduce a draconian and authoritarian law that will see you jailed for two years and fined up to €30,000 for insulting people online. The law is being pushed by Edward Zammit Lewis, the Justice Minister who was caught conspiring in secret and defending Yorgen Fenech…
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Robert Abela will fine you 30,000 and send you two years in jail for insulting him on Facebook
The government is currently using the excuse of “cyberbullying” to introduce a draconian and authoritarian law that will see you jailed for two years and fined up to 30,000 for insulting people online. The law is being pushed by Edward Zammit Lewis, the Justice Minister who was caught conspiring in secret and defending Yorgen Fenech…
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Robert Abela’s total contempt for free speech
Gone are Robert Abela’s virtuous declarations on the free press and the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry. Today, Prime Minister Robert Abela has sent a threat to the press and condemned it in harsh terms. His disgruntlement is shown as he walks flustered away from the Times of Malta journalist after a flurry of journalists…
