Hungary's Constitutional Court Strikes Down Hate Speech Amendments

The Budapest Times reports that Hungary's Constitutional Court last week ruled two amendments added last year to Hungary's "hate speech" law unconstitutional. One amendment allowed suits to be brought against a speaker who directed inflammatory speech broadly against a person's religious or ethnic group. Previously plaintiffs had to show the speech was directed against them personally. The other amendment for the first time made hate speech a criminal offense, punishable by up to two years in prison. The court held that both of the amendments unduly restrict freedom of expression. It also held that only natural persons may have their human dignity protected. Broader communities or groups may not. Criticizing the decision, Socialist MP Gergely Bárándy said that it opens the door to verbal attacks on Jews and Gypsies.