The Volokh Conspiracy - Query for Our Dutch and Dutch-Savvy Readers:

The Windsor Star reports:

The Dutch cabinet gave the nod Friday to a bid to scrap a legal ban on blasphemy, opting to expand hate speech beyond religious boundaries to include all groups of people.

"The cabinet gives the prohibition of blasphemy a new form and place in the law," said a statement from the justice ministry.

"In future, it will be punishable to give serious offence to any group of people. There is no need any more for a separate provision for blasphemy."

The statement said there was no difference between insults aimed against people based on their race, religion, sexual orientation or handicap.

To this end, the cabinet decided to amend anti-discrimination provisions in the law, a move which must then be approved by parliament....

Surely "it will be punishable to give serious offence to any group of people" is something of an overstatement, but my quick search couldn't find any English-language details. Do any of you know more about this? At this point, I'm just looking for the facts, not a critique of a proposal the details of which are not yet certain (at least to me).

	[Eugene Volokh, November 2, 2008 at 12:26am] Trackbacks Query for Our Dutch and Dutch-Savvy Readers: The Windsor Star reports: The Dutch cabinet gave the nod Friday to a bid to scrap a legal ban on blasphemy, opting to expand hate speech beyond religious boundaries to include all groups of people. "The cabinet gives the prohibition of blasphemy a new form and place in the law," said a statement from the justice ministry. "In future, it will be punishable to give serious offence to any group of people. There is no need any more for a separate provision for blasphemy." The statement said there was no difference between insults aimed against people based on their race, religion, sexual orientation or handicap. To this end, the cabinet decided to amend anti-discrimination provisions in the law, a move which must then be approved by parliament.... Surely "it will be punishable to give serious offence to any group of people" is something of an overstatement, but my quick search couldn't find any English-language details. Do any of you know more about this? At this point, I'm just looking for the facts, not a critique of a proposal the details of which are not yet certain (at least to me).