May 27 2009
Ireland’s ‘blasphemy law’ worries religious liberty proponents
A proposed law criminalizing the criticism of religion in Ireland may defy international standards of freedom of speech and indicate a troubling trend toward more state control over religious matters, religious liberty experts say.
Members of the Oireachtas (Parliament) Committee on Justice are considering an amendment to the country’s Defamation Bill that will effectively ban “blasphemous libel,” making it a fineable offense to publish or utter such speech.