How to fix 18C for good

Q: What do you call the news that a Federal Court judge has dismissed the 18C case against three Queensland University of Technology students?

A: A good start — but only a start, as a close reading of the judgment makes clear.

Q: How might this pernicious law be best re-written?

A: Just like this:

Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; 

For the benefit of  those with Australian journalism degrees and the anxious pantywaists now debating how to gently re-phrase 18C,  that’s the relevant section of the US First Amendment.

It seems to work well enough on the other side of the Pacific.

The QUT judgment can be read in full via the link below.

Read More