The deadly terror attack waged on the Paris headquarters of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has prompted renewed calls to revive abandoned plans to change Australia's race-hate laws.

The former NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton says those advocating free speech in the wake of last week's Paris attacks should also support the right of media organisations like Charlie Hebdo to print material which can insult or offend.

Currently, under Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act it is unlawful to "offend, insult, humiliate" a person or group of people on the basis of race, colour or ethnic origin.

"The journalists in Paris were killed because they published offensive material," Mr Sexton wrote in News Corp on Monday.