Australia’s 18C hate‑speech litigation reportedly forced a secular court to decide whether parts of Islamic scripture, as explained by a cleric, were 'worthy of respect in a democratic society.' Expert religious witnesses were called on both sides, effectively turning a speech case into theological arbitration.
— If hate‑speech regimes push courts into judging religious doctrine, they risk compromising state neutrality, chilling scholarship, and turning law into de facto blasphemy enforcement.
Yascha Mounk
2026.04.21
80% relevant
The interview flags the weaponization of hate‑speech laws — using those laws as tools to restrict dissent or political opponents — which echoes the existing idea that hate‑speech regulation is being transformed into a judicialized moral framework that can be used politically.
Matt Goodwin
2026.01.02
78% relevant
The article warns that blurring criticism of a religion with racialised hostility pushes public bodies and possibly courts into judging theological and doctrinal disputes—echoing the concern that hate‑speech regimes force legal actors into theological adjudication.
Arnold Kling
2025.10.05
100% relevant
Helen Dale’s report that an Australian court in the Haddad case evaluated Islamic scripture’s legitimacy under 18C.
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