College of Law to co-sponsorCambridge extreme speech talk
The regulation of speech that incites racial and religious hatred and terrorism is the focus of a spring conference in Cambridge, England, presented by the University of Cambridge's Centre for Public Law and co-sponsored by the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in Tempe.
"Extreme Speech and Democracy," supported by Clifford Chance and the British Academy, will be held April 21-22 at Cambridge University Faculty of Law.
The program will explore whether restrictions on extreme speech, such as glorification of terrorism and Holocaust denial, are compatible with free speech in a democratic society. A panel of international and interdisciplinary experts also will debate hate speech, veil controversies, media regulation and self-restraint and religious speech and expressive conduct that offend secular values.
Among American panelists are James Weinstein, Amelia Lewis Professor of Constitutional Law at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and a visitor at the Cambridge Law Faculty; David Bodney, a partner and media and constitutional law expert at the Phoenix law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, and Robert Post, David Boies Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
"A conference like this provides Americans with an interesting perspective," Weinstein said. "Unlike in the United States, where the First Amendment has been interpreted to forbid the suppression of hate speech, as well as many other forms of extreme expression, the dominant view in the UK and Europe seems to be that the constitutional commitment to free speech does not forbid regulation of speech that profoundly offends basic societal norms."
Opening the conference, which will include two dozen participants on six panels, is Professor Dieter Grimm of Humboldt University of Berlin. Lord Peter Goldsmith, the Attorney General of the United Kingdom, will deliver a second keynote to begin the afternoon session on April 21.
The cost for academics is 100 British pounds, approximately $195, including dinner at a Cambridge College and refreshments. (The regular fee is 150 British pounds, about $295.) For more information about accommodtions, or to register, contact Felicity Eves at the Centre for Public Law, +44 (0) 01223 330042, e-mail fre20@cam.ac.uk or go to cpl.law.cam.ac.uk.
About the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law: The College has a nationally acclaimed faculty with a tradition of excellence in both research and teaching. It is home to the Center for the Study of Law, Science, & Technology, the oldest, largest and most comprehensive law and science center in the United States, and the nationally-renowned Indian Legal Program, which offers specialized courses for those interested in the growing field of Indian law.
About The Centre for Public Law: The Center was established in 1996 in the Faculty of Law to provide a focus for research in all aspects of Public Law in the University of Cambridge. The Center has held numerous conferences and seminars contributing to cutting-edge debates on Public Law.