TDs and Senators of the Republic of Ireland: Reject the Labour Censorship Bills

Rónán D. started this petition to TDs and Senators of the Republic of Ireland started this petition to

Lorraine Higgins and Pat Rabbitte have presented two new Bills to the Houses of the Oireachtas that include sentences of up to 5 years in prison and/or fines of up to EUR7500 for electronic communications that are considered to cause ´annoyance´, ´distress´, ´alarm´, ´inconvenience´ or ´needless anxiety´ to others. There are links to each of the bills below.



In the last few years Irish people have been voicing dissent both on the streets and online in reaction to issues such as the bank bailout, ballooning suicide figures and the implementation of water charges nationwide. Despite claims to the contrary from establishment figures this is how democracy is supposed to work.



Legislation with this kind of scope presents a genuine threat to online political debate. Similar legislation passed in the UK has been used to silence and intimidate people who express anti-establishment opinions (see below)



There is legislation already in place to protect people from threats of harm and violence. The vague wording of the Bills means that these new laws are wide open for abuse, and given the political situation in Ireland over the past few years, there are good reasons for believing that this is the whole purpose.



Please sign this petition and show the TDs and Senators of the Republic of Ireland that we will not accept this kind of censorship.



“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.”

― William Faulkner



What else can you do?

Go to the link below and sign your name and address to directly contact all members of Dáil and Seanad Eireann expressing your concerns about these bills, and/or the wording of them.



https://www.contact.ie/national-politicians/email-campaigns/stop-labour-party-censorship-bills





The Bills

http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=28713&&CatID=59



http://www.lorrainehiggins.ie/newsmedia/#.VTqmYNLBzGc





Some Commentary on the Bills

https://soundmigration.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/labour-censorship-ireland-social-media/



http://www.broadsheet.ie/2015/04/16/what-are-they-playing-at/



UK and Nova Scotian Legislation and Some Instances of Use

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/communications_sent_via_social_media/



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/man-who-said-all-soldiers-should-die-and-go-to-hell-on-fa....



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-cyberbullying-law-faces-criticism-1.2814289





Note: edits have been made to this description since the petition was started in order to:



1. make sure both bills were quoted in the first paragraph



2. include a link to, and a description of, the contact.ie campaign set up by somebody else



3. include information regarding similar legislation and its use in Nova Scotia.

