Canadian Justice Minister Arif Virani, who is also the nation’s attorney general, says it is very important that the government has the power to punish someone it believes may be committing a hate crime even if that person has not actually committed any crime . An online harms bill proposed by the government would give it such powers. Anyone the government says commits a hate crime would face a range of punishments, including restrictions on internet use, being forced to wear an electronic monitor and house arrest. But Virani insists the bill would not infringe on free speech, saying “terrible but lawful” speech will not be punished.
The post Brickbat: Pre-Crime and Punishment appeared first on Reason.com.