NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] More on Irish blasphemy law and atheists' Web site testing
A reader in Ireland points out that there has been widespread confusion (even within Ireland) about their new blasphemy law. In particular, the new law reportedly can enable prosecution (with some defenses permitted) for "blasphemous" statements made that offend practitioners of pretty much any established religion, not just Christianity (with the focus of Ireland's long-standing "common law" blasphemy ban having been interpreted with a Christianity focus). This legal escalation apparently was the result of reevaluation of Ireland's common law sedition and blasphemy prohibitions, particularly given pressures to invalidate the former in light of efforts to harmonize with the EU ( http://bit.ly/7tAAnH [Human Rights in Ireland] ). But instead of specifically dumping the blasphemy concept, the new law instead gives it statutory authority, actually widening its scope. So, for example, if your Web site offends, say, The Church of Satan, you could apparently (in theory) be prosecuted. At least one Irish legal observer has suggested that it is also unclear if the atheist group protesting this new law on their Web site has chosen sufficiently provocative quotations to actually trigger the law. Overall, this still seems like a giant step backwards, with potentially significant negative implications for many Web sites, at least in Ireland. --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator