NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LIBERTARIAN ALLIANCE
In Association with the Libertarian International

Release Date: Friday 3rd February 2006
Release Time: Immediate

Contact Details:
Dr Sean Gabb, 07956 472 199, sean@libertarian.co.uk

For other contact and link details, see the foot of this message Release 
url: http://www.libertarian.co.uk/news/nr034.htm

BNP ACQUITTALS "A PARTIAL VICTORY FOR FREE SPEECH", SAYS FREE MARKET AND 
CIVIL LIBERTIES THINK TANK

The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties 
institute, today welcomes the partial acquittal of BNP Leader Nick 
Griffin and his colleague Mark Collett. Both men had been charged with 
political offences. Their probable retrial on those charges where the 
Jury could not agree constrains the Libertarian Alliance from saying all 
that it otherwise might. But their acquittal on some of the charges is 
unreservedly welcomed.

Moving away from matters subject to the sub iudice rule, the Libertarian 
Alliance calls on the British Government to repeal all laws against 
racial hatred and racial discrimination.

Dr Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance, comments:

"The rights to freedom of speech and association are fundamental to a 
free society. So far as these rights are diminished, that society 
becomes less free. I was born in a country where these rights had been 
enjoyed for centuries. I have reached middle age in a politically 
correct police state where the Government is now trying to silence its 
opponents through the courts. Particularly under Tony Blair, this 
country has become a more genteel version of Zimbabwe.

"Doubtless, there are people who take offence at the expression of 
certain views on race and immigration. But free speech that does not 
include the right to give offence is not free speech. It is the 
political equivalent of decaffeinated coffee.

"If people are upset by what they read or hear, let them ignore it or 
argue against it. There is no place in these debates for the Thought 
Police."

The Libertarian Alliance believes:

* That the Race Relations Act 1976 should be repealed;
* That the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 should be repealed;
* That, pending repeal, the Race Regulations subsequent to these Acts 
should be withdrawn;
* That those sections of the Public Order Act 1986 dealing with speech 
and publication should be repealed;
* That those sections of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 dealing with 
"racial aggravation" of offences should be repealed;
* That the Commission for Racial Equality and all similar organisations 
should be abolished, and their records burned;
* That all those convicted of thought crimes under the above laws should 
be pardoned and, where appropriate, compensated;
* That the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill now before Parliament should 
be abandoned;
* That the Human Rights Act 1998 should be amended to protect the right 
of people to say anything they like about public issues, and to 
associate or not associate as they please.

END OF COPY

Note(s) to Editors

Dr Sean Gabb is the Director of the Libertarian Alliance and edits its 
journal Free Life. His latest book, Smoking, Class and the Legitimation 
of Power, is available at Amazon. His other books are available from 
Hampden Press at http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk.

He can be contacted for further comment on 07956 472 199 or by email at 
sean@libertarian.co.uk

Extended Contact Details:

The Libertarian Alliance is Britain's most radical free market and civil 
liberties policy institute. It has published over 700 articles, 
pamphlets and books in support of freedom and against statism in all its 
forms. These are freely available at http://www.libertarian.co.uk

Our postal address is

The Libertarian Alliance
Suite 35
2 Landsdowne Row
Mayfair
London
W1J 6HL
Tel: 0870 242 1712

Associated Organisations

The Libertarian International - http://www.libertarian.to - is a sister 
organisation to the Libertarian Alliance. Its mission is to coordinate 
various initiatives in the defence of individual liberty throughout the 
world.

Sean Gabb's personal website - http://www.seangabb.co.uk - contains 
about a million words of writings on themes interesting to libertarians 
and conservatives.

Hampden Press - http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk.- the publishing house of 
the Libertarian Alliance.

Liberalia - http://www.liberalia.com - maintained by by LA Executive 
member Christian Michel, Liberalia publishes in-depth papers in French 
and English on libertarianism and free enterprise. It is a prime source 
of documentation on these issues for students and scholars.

-- 
Sean Gabb
Director, the Libertarian Alliance
sean@nojunkcandidlist.demon.co.uk (remove "nojunk")
Tel: (44) 7956 472 199       Fax: (44) 870 052 4388
http://www.seangabb.co.uk    http://www.libertarian.co.uk

Buy my book: "War and the National Interest: Arguments for a British Foreign
Policy" (Second Edition) - http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk