R. V. Keegstra

466 Words2 Pages
Background James Keegstra was a high school teacher in Eckville Alberta until he was dismissed in 1982. In 1984 he was charged with promoting hatred against an identifiable group by communication anti-semitic statements to his students. Some things that he would say are that the Jews had created the Holocaust for sympathy. He would test his students on his own beliefs and those that would agree with him would get a better mark then those that didn’t agree with him. Issue The issue in the R.V. Keegstra was whether section 319 of the criminal code violated section 2b of the charter. Crown’s Arguments The Crowns Arguments were from section 319 of the Criminal Code were it says that everyone who by communication statements in any public place incites hatred against and identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace. The Crown used this argument to say that he had gone over board with his right of freedom of speech by saying such hateful things against the Jews. Defence Arguments The defence used the Charter of Rights of Freedoms section 2b where is says that everybody has the freedom of speech, though, belief, opinion, and expression. He used this to argue that what he said about the Jews was allowed because he had a freedom of speech so that he was able to say what ever he wanted to say. Courts Decisions The courts decisions were that he would be fined $5000 and he would have to do 200 hours of community service. He then appealed to the Supreme Court who agreed with his and said that the Criminal Code violated what was written in the charter and it was too broad to convict his of that crime. Christian Perspective I think that what he said about the Jews was not right. Galatians 5:14 it says that you are to love your neighbours as yourself. By what he was saying about the Jews was not showing love to them
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