Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression : Comparative, Theoretical and Historical Reflections After the Charlie Hebdo Massacre

Foreword / Eric Barendt -- Introduction / András Koltay & Jeroen Temperman -- Blasphemy In French Law : From The Chevalier De La Barre To Charlie Hebdo / Guilhem Gil -- Blasphemy And Defamation Of Religion Following Charlie Hebdo / Neville Cox -- Blasphemy, The Public Sphere And Democratic Self-government / Ian Cram -- The Right To Blaspheme / Mark Hill Qc & Russell Sandberg -- Blasphemy, Freedom Of Expression And The Protection Of Religious Sensibilities In Twenty-first Century Europe / Peter Cumper -- Rethinking Blasphemy And Anti-blasphemy Laws / Robert Kahn -- Blasphemy, Defamation Of Religion And Religious Hate Speech : Is There A Difference That Makes A Difference? / John C. Knechtle -- The Freedom And Restriction Of Blasphemy : Theoretical Perspectives / András Koltay -- At The Deep End Of The Poo L: Religious Offence, Debate-speech And The Margin Of Appreciation Before The European Court Of Human Rights / Tom Lewis --^ Mother Of God, Drive Putin Away : On Blasphemy And Activist Art In The Jurisprudence Of The European Court Of Human Rights / Jeroen Temperman -- Religious Insult And Blasphemy In Contemporary Finland / Tuomas Äystö -- The Blasphemy Offence In The Italian Legal System / Cristiana Cianitto -- Legal Protection Of Religion In Germany / Matthias Cornils -- God's Advocates : The Multiple Fronts Of The War On Blasphemy In Greece / Effie Fokas -- Blasphemy Law In Poland / Joanna Kulesza & Jan Kulesza -- The Blasphemy Ban In Denmark / Lars Grassmé Binderup & Eva Naria Lassen -- A Draft Obituary For The Offence Of Blasphemy In Ireland / Tarlach Mcgonagle -- Religion And Hate Speech In Canada : The Difficulty In Separating Attacks On Beliefs From Attacks On Believers / Richard Moon -- Blasphemy In Australia : The Rags And Remnants Of Persecution? / Helen Pringle -- Blasphemy Prohibitions And Prosecutions : A Us Perspective / Russell Weaver --^ Giving Up The Ghost : On The Decline And Fall Of Norwegian Anti-blasphemy Legislation / Helge Årsheim -- The Theory And Practice Of Blasphemy In The Common Law : Slaying The Seven-headed Beast / Ivan Hare -- Freedom Of Expression, Blasphemy And Religious Hatred : A View From The Uk / Erica Howard -- The Rise And Fall Of The Offence Of Blasphemy In The Netherlands / Esther Janssen -- Freedom Of Expression And Religions, The United Nations, And The 16/18 Process / Marc Limon, Nazila Ghanea & Hilary Power -- Blasphemy, Religious Rights And Harassment : A Workplace Study / Andrew Hambler -- Towards An Understanding Of Accelerants And Decelerants : A Non-juriscentric Approach To Offensive Or Hateful Speech Concerning Religion / Brett Scharffs. Edited By Jeroen Temperman, Erasmus University Rotterdam ; András Koltay, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "AThe tension between blasphemy laws and the freedom of expression in modern times is a key area of debate within legal academia and beyond. With contributions by leading scholars, this volume compares blasphemy laws within a number of Western liberal democracies and debates the legitimacy of these laws in the twenty-first century. Including comprehensive and up-to-date comparative country studies, this book considers the formulation of blasphemy bans, relevant jurisprudential interpretations, the effect on society, and the ensuing convictions and penalties where applicable. It provides a useful historical analysis by discussing the legal-political rationales behind the recent abolition of blasphemy laws in some Western states. Contributors also consider the challenges to the tenability of blasphemy laws in a selection of well-balanced theoretical chapters. This book is essential reading for scholars working within the fields of human rights law, philosophy and sociology of religion, and comparative politics." --publisher's description This book compares blasphemy laws between Western liberal democracies and discusses the legitimacy of these laws in the twenty-first century. It will appeal to a broad range of scholars interested in the freedom of expression and religion from a variety of perspectives, including regional human rights law and legal theory.