Research Collaborations

Hate Speech Legislation, the Commonwealth Model, and Parliamentary Debates on Rights

In recent years, the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand have all announced proposals to regulate online hate speech. Each of these governments faces the challenge of deciding how to address the harms of hate speech, particularly in the online context, in a way that sufficiently protects free expression. In this research project, Dr. Emmett Macfarlane (University of Waterloo) and I will explore established and emerging hate speech policy in these three Commonwealth countries. Our research will question how each country's institutions and accompanying rights culture shape limits on rights implicated by hate speech laws.

This project five-year project is supported by a SSHRC Insight Grant.