Canterbury Correct In Not Interfering with Student Comedy – Free Speech Coalition
Free Speech Coalition urges University of Canterbury to resist bullying calls to suppress student freedom of speech.
As an arm of the state, Canterbury is bound to uphold the freedom of speech assured by the NZ Bill of Rights Act. As a university it must also comply with section 161(2)(a) of the Education Act, to allow students ‘to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions.’”
“So it was reassuring to read of the university’s refusal to jump to the prune-faced demands that it suppress the irreverence, and bad taste mockery that is a time-honoured celebration of student freedom of speech. We commend the acting law school dean, Professor Elizabeth Toomey, for stating that “the university does ‘not play to the role of censor.’ Given the cowardice displayed recently at some other universities, that showed courage.”
“It appears possible the university pressed the students to apologise to a thin-skinned individual who was lampooned. He appears to have played the victim card to derail what sounds like essentially political satire. But that does not detract from the refusal to be panicked into condemning the students.”
“As a lawyer I’m also reassured to know that young lawyers have not all become de facto priestlings, confined to pious recitations of a new morality. We want lawyers to be brave gladiators for their clients, but too often the law establishment now indulges the snowflakes who want to be protected from anything that offends them. Who’d want lawyers who can’t take sick jokes or challenges to their orthodoxies.”
Stephen Franks
In spite of all the effusive comments about how wonderful this new government is where is their support for free speech? As long as they are the state they have an obligation as public servants to respect the wishes of the wider population and that includes free speech. End of story.
“”As an arm of the state, Canterbury is bound to uphold the freedom of speech assured by the NZ Bill of Rights Act. As a university it must also comply with section 161(2)(a) of the Education Act, to allow students ‘to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions.’””
Exactly. Long may the university of Canterbury stand up to pressure from the Woke Left! Let’s hope that our other universities take note, and act similarly.
Stephen Franks claims lawyers should be gladiators for their clients. I do not know if he is a lawyer but he is sadly wrong in this ringing claim. I have been a barrister for 50 years, in NZ and in Sydney, and I can assure him that conducting litigation is a thoughtful and technical job. The English Bar says that a good barrister should never care whether he wins or loses, and I support that. I think Stephen has been watching too much American TV, and discourteous “free” speech is never part of the equipment of a gentleman. The Canterbury students were disgraceful.
John Burn: “I do not know if he is a lawyer….”
He is.
“Stephen has been watching too much American TV, and discourteous “free” speech is never part of the equipment of a gentleman. The Canterbury students were disgraceful.”
Time was, the Americans did free speech better than just about any other polity. Though les Froggies were pretty good too; until the radical Islamists came and shot up anybody who said mean things about them.
That’s the whole point of free speech: it constitutes the right to express any opinion, without censorship or restraint. It doesn’t matter whether people are offended by those opinions: folks taking offence isn’t in the definition. And long may that be the case.
Given your considerable experience, I’d guess that possibly you went through the university system at the time of the notorious capping revues and magazines. They mercilessly lampooned pollies and other self-important people, along with societal institutions. Of course they were disgraceful: what a shame that this is no longer a feature of the modern uni. More power to Canterbury students, say I.