Our Speech Limit

• xavier1979

  12 May 05, 20:49

  "You Can Say What You Want, But You'd Better Watch What You Say."
  
  This is the impression I get from reading the recent news articles.
  
  Sigh. I just feel our society is still unable to take the heat when under fire.
• dragg

  12 May 05, 20:52

  any link to the article that you can provide?
  
  
• xavier1979

  12 May 05, 20:54

  Originally posted by dragg:

  any link to the article that you can provide?
  
  

  The case of a blogger versus an organisation.
• xavier1979

  12 May 05, 20:59

  My feel:
  
  What we need is an open environment, where we are free to challenge each other's allegations, and to refute them based on facts and the truth.
  
  It is all too easy to sue the other for defamation instead.
• PatrickLTH

  13 May 05, 08:05

  Originally posted by xavier1979:

  My feel:
  
  What we need is an open environment, where we are free to challenge each other's allegations, and to refute them based on facts and the truth.
  
  It is all too easy to sue the other for defamation instead.

  You got it right.
  
  If the original article is based on facts and the truth, then there would not be any defamation to start with.
  
  The trouble is, most of the time, it is just statement (kopi shop talk) with out checking of fact that is being presented. We expect to fish out truth from "somebody or organisation" affected. Instead we get defamation suit in return. We are asking for it.
  
  These are just my opinion.
• dragg

  13 May 05, 08:39

  Originally posted by xavier1979:

  My feel:
  
  What we need is an open environment, where we are free to challenge each other's allegations, and to refute them based on facts and the truth.
  
  It is all too easy to sue the other for defamation instead.

  why apologise if what he said was based on facts and the truth? he should have faced the plaintiff in court.
  
  having freedom of speech do not mean we can say anything we want just because we are unhappy about something.
  
  
• MRMUSICPRODUCER

  13 May 05, 11:02

  the shiit abt fairness is crap. come on, whoever thinks the world is fair is probably a rich kid whos daddy or mummy protects like he/she is some close 2 extinct animal or simply dumb.
• lwflee

  13 May 05, 11:45

  Originally posted by dragg:

  why apologise if what he said was based on facts and the truth? he should have faced the plaintiff in court.
  
  having freedom of speech do not mean we can say anything we want just because we are unhappy about something.
  
  

  Because slugging it out in courts costs time and money. I am not sure, nut i do not think that Legal Aid is avail to defend defamation suits. There is also the uncertrainty of where the trial will be held. Singapore certainly doesn't have a very good track record in this area.