Drawing a limit on the freedom of expression? Charlie Hebdo, the French context and offensive speech

Abstract

This thesis undertakes research on limitations to the right to freedom of
expression. It considers possible legal and moral frameworks through which to
ground a restriction on the right to freedom of expression based on religious
offence. It will develop an argument to ground a moral restraint built from
duties arising within tolerance, respect and recognition, and discourse ethics.
This argument is then applied to the research’s case-study – the Charlie Hebdo
attacks and controversy over the publication of allegedly offensive cartoons –
in order to determine how the theory may apply in practice. The research and
conclusions drawn are important due to the fact that the Charlie Hebdo
controversy adds to an increasing list of multicultural conflicts – such as the
Rushdie affair, the Danish cartoons affair, and the headscarf affair – between
the freedom of expression and limitations grounded in religion belief and
offence.