Hate Speech

Question 1

What is hate speech

Answer 1

speech intended to insult, offend, or intimidate because of some trait

Question 2

What is the sedition act

Answer 2

Words and publications with seditious tendency

1. against govt
2. among residents in SG
3. promote feelings of ill will and hostility between races or classes of the population

Tendency, not actual effect, is required
Intention is not required

Question 3

What are the penalties for Sedition Act?

Answer 3

1. Prison 2. Fine for
   words, acts, pub;icaitions

Used against hate speech since 2005

Question 4

What are hate speech laws before amendments in 2019?

Answer 4

1. Sedition Act: Tendency to promote ill-will and hostility between races and classes of population
2. Penal Code
   S298: wound religious or racial feelings
   S298A: maintenance of religious or racial harmony
   S267C: incitement

Question 5

What are the hate speech laws after amendments in 2019?

Answer 5

1. Sedition Act
2. Penal Code
   S298: intentionally wound racial feelings
   S298A: maintenance of racial harmony
   S267C: incitement

Question 6

How to know which law?

Answer 6

Proseuctor chooses whether to prosecute, which law to use

Question 7

What is the MRHA? When did it come into effect?

Answer 7

Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.

1. knowingly incites feelings of illwill etc for a group in SG
2. group is distinguished by religion
3. knowing that feelings will likely to occur
4. feelings will threaten public peace or public order
5. intention not required, only knowledge

bar to prove is lower

Question 8

What is incitement in SG?

Answer 8

1. document or 2. electronic record of
   incitement to violence or breach of peace

–> unrecorded live rally cannot be incitement

Question 9

What is 298A?

Answer 9

Knowingly promotes feelings of enmity, hatred, or illwill between racial groups

Question 10

What is 298?

Answer 10

With intention of wounding racial feelings of any person

Question 11

What is incitement in the US?

Answer 11

IIIPLA
Intentional
Incitement 
Imminent
Probable
Lawless action 

• not just advocating breaking the law

Question 12

Regulating hate speech in America

Answer 12

violates the First Amendment

Question 13

What are the exceptions to the First Amendment in the US?

Answer 13

Incitement
Fighting words
True threat

Question 14

What are fighting words?

Answer 14

1. words that a reasonable person would understand to be words that likely cause an average addressee to fight
2. by their utterance, inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace
3. personally directed –> not just general expression of dissatisfaction w govt

Question 15

What are true threats?

Answer 15

1. intent to injure
2. told to victim
3. reaction of recipient to threat
4. conditional threat
5. whether similar statements made before
6. propensity for violence

Question 16

Why should FoE be regulated?

Answer 16

if permitted, hate speech may

1. weaken social bonds
2. reinforce hate
3. allow bigots to find each other

Question 17

Why should FoE not be regulated

Answer 17

FoE may be a safety valve

1. Bigots may discharge anger without violence
2. channel resistance into courses more consistent with law and order
3. Lead to more tolerance: immunity to hate speech, communities become stronger by dealing with hate by confronting it or ignoring it

Question 18

What is the dominant SG view towards hate speech?

Answer 18

answers will not be found only through debate and discussion, sensible boundaries must also be drawn

Question 19

What is the 3rd person effect?

Answer 19

perception that a message will exert stronger impavt on others than on self

• overestimate media impact on others
• underestimate media impact on self

Question 20

What explains the 3rd person effect?

Answer 20

self-enhancement bias, human tendency to perceive self as superior to others

satisfies need for control, minimises impact of external factors on self

Question 21

What is the consequence of the 3rd person effect?

Answer 21

support censorship