lèse majesté laws worldwide

Winnipeg10

Nominee Member
Sep 15, 2006
78
2
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Under lèse majesté laws, internet slander can carry a penalty up to 75 years in prison against a monarch. How important are these lèse majesté laws considering our sacred heads of states?

The concept of "lese-majeste" (literally, injury to the Majesty) as a
crime goes back to ancient Rome and was jealously guarded by absolute
monarchs in medieval Europe, while something similar existed in Asian
cultures.

In Brunei, which like Thailand is ruled by a monarchy, three men were
jailed for a year in 2006 for sending mobile phone clips judged
seditious and insulting to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his family.

Laws protecting the "dignity" of a monarch have been borrowed by many
modern republics. In the Indian Ocean state of the Maldives, three journalists were
sentenced to life in 2002 for "insulting the president" and setting up
a newsletter critical of the government.

In Poland, a member of the European Union, you can technically get up to three years for offending the president. In Germany, Switzerland and Poland it is illegal to insult foreign heads of state publicly.

On 5 January 2005, Jerzy Urban was sentenced by Poland to a fine of
20,000 złoty (about 5000 EUR or 6,200 USD) for having insulted Pope
John Paul II, a visiting head of state.

Also, on January 26 – January 27, 2005, 28 human rights activists were
temporarily detained by the Polish authorities for allegedly insulting
Vladimir Putin, a visiting head of state.

In October 2006, a Polish man was arrested in Warsaw after expressing
his dissatisfaction with the leadership of Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński
by passing gas loudly.

Our heads of states are the most important figures we have in society, and we protect them as such.

Royal House of Hohenzollern
Fernidad Frederick, King of Prussia
Kaiser III (Emperor of Germany)

Great Pasha of the Ottoman Empire and Egypt
Emperor of the two Americas and Carpathia
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
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In October 2006, a Polish man was arrested in Warsaw after expressing
his dissatisfaction with the leadership of Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński
by passing gas loudly.

Our heads of states are the most important figures we have in society, and we protect them as such.

Royal House of Hohenzollern
Fernidad Frederick, King of Prussia
Kaiser III (Emperor of Germany)

Great Pasha of the Ottoman Empire and Egypt
Emperor of the two Americas and Carpathia

I'm not sure which of your exalted titles I should be using to address you appropriately (O Great Pasha, maybe?) but in any case, I really like the one about the Polish guy passing gas! (How do they know it wasn't just one of those "sneakers?"...i.e., an accident?)

In fact, I wonder how the House of Commons in Ottawa would sound if MPs adopted that method of expressing disapproval with each other? Or maybe I should be wondering how it smell?

PS - Are you really from Winnipeg? I used to know a lot of sensible people there.
 

Winnipeg10

Nominee Member
Sep 15, 2006
78
2
8
I'm curious what the jail sentence is in such countries as Canada for insulting a foreign monarch, especially it's own head of state Queen Elizabeth II?

I've read that U.S. presidents have been protected under the lèse majesté laws abroad.

F.F. Prussia
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
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I'm curious what the jail sentence is in such countries as Canada for insulting a foreign monarch, especially it's own head of state Queen Elizabeth II?

I've read that U.S. presidents have been protected under the lèse majesté laws abroad.

F.F. Prussia

Hey FFP - If we had such a law, it would likely be a bugger trying to enforce it. Just have a browse through some of the posts here, and you'll get the idea. A great number of people don't have a lot of respect for people in positions of power, so I would think any monarch would not be exempt from their "wrath", law or no law.

Besides, do you think the average (anglo) Canadian would consider a law with a name like that seriously? ("lazy majesty"...is that how it's pronounced?)

By the way, I'm not very up to date on geography these days...where the heck is Prussia?

Have a regal, royal New Year!
 

Winnipeg10

Nominee Member
Sep 15, 2006
78
2
8
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's monarch or country. Participating in a war against one's country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps the best-known examples of high treason. High treason requires that the alleged traitor has obligations of loyalty in the state he or she betrayed, such as citizenship, although presence in the state at the time is sufficient. Foreign spies, assassins, and saboteurs, though not suffering the dishonor associated with conviction for high treason, may still be tried and punished judicially for acts of espionage, assassination, or sabotage, though in contemporary times, foreign spies and saboteurs are usually repatriated following capture. High treason is considered a serious offense, and carries the death penalty in some countries.
Historically, in common law countries high treason was differentiated from petty treason, which was the act of killing a lawful superior (such as a servant killing his or her master or mistress). It was, in effect, considered a more serious degree of murder. As jurisdictions around the world abolished petty treason, the concept of petty treason gradually faded, and today use of the word "treason" generally refers to "high treason."

Canadian law

In Canadian law, however, there are two separate offences of treason and high treason, but both of these, in fact, fall in the historical category of high treason.[1] In Canada, the main difference in law between treason and high treason depends on whether the nation is at war or not. Most acts (attempting to overthrow the government, spying for a foreign power, revealing state secrets, etc.) are considered in peacetime to constitute the crime of “treason”.[2] The same acts, committed in wartime, however, constitute the crime of “high treason”.[3] Only the act of attempting to assassinate the Queen is legally considered “high treason” during times of peace.[4] The practical distinction between the two offenses is, however, minimal.[5] The punishment for high treason in Canadian law is mandatory life imprisonment. The punishment for treason is imprisonment up to life,[6] except where the treasonable offence is the betrayal of scientific or military state secrets. The punishment in this situation is life imprisonment during wartime (high treason),[7] but imprisonment of a term not exceeding fourteen years in peacetime (treason).[8]

courtesy: high treason: Definition from Answers.com

F.F. Prussia
 

Niflmir

A modern nomad
Dec 18, 2006
3,460
58
48
Leiden, the Netherlands
Has this law ever actually been used?

You know it is illegal to have anal sex before 18, but legal to have regular sex before 18? Making it illegal for male homosexuals to have sex at that age but ok for anybody else. This is a much more offensive state of affairs.
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's monarch or country. Participating in a war against one's country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps the best-known examples of high treason. High treason requires that the alleged traitor has obligations of loyalty in the state he or she betrayed, such as citizenship, although presence in the state at the time is sufficient. Foreign spies, assassins, and saboteurs, though not suffering the dishonor associated with conviction for high treason, may still be tried and punished judicially for acts of espionage, assassination, or sabotage, though in contemporary times, foreign spies and saboteurs are usually repatriated following capture. High treason is considered a serious offense, and carries the death penalty in some countries.
Historically, in common law countries high treason was differentiated from petty treason, which was the act of killing a lawful superior (such as a servant killing his or her master or mistress). It was, in effect, considered a more serious degree of murder. As jurisdictions around the world abolished petty treason, the concept of petty treason gradually faded, and today use of the word "treason" generally refers to "high treason."

Canadian law

In Canadian law, however, there are two separate offences of treason and high treason, but both of these, in fact, fall in the historical category of high treason.[1] In Canada, the main difference in law between treason and high treason depends on whether the nation is at war or not. Most acts (attempting to overthrow the government, spying for a foreign power, revealing state secrets, etc.) are considered in peacetime to constitute the crime of “treason”.[2] The same acts, committed in wartime, however, constitute the crime of “high treason”.[3] Only the act of attempting to assassinate the Queen is legally considered “high treason” during times of peace.[4] The practical distinction between the two offenses is, however, minimal.[5] The punishment for high treason in Canadian law is mandatory life imprisonment. The punishment for treason is imprisonment up to life,[6] except where the treasonable offence is the betrayal of scientific or military state secrets. The punishment in this situation is life imprisonment during wartime (high treason),[7] but imprisonment of a term not exceeding fourteen years in peacetime (treason).[8]

courtesy: high treason: Definition from Answers.com

F.F. Prussia

Hey FFP - Not that I'm trying to keep this painful exercise alive here, but did you have a point you wish to make, or perhaps a question? I asked a few questions earlier, but I guess you were too busy with other royal duties to have the time (or courtesy) to answer. A discussion usually requires more than one person, so here I am. Where are you?
 

Kakato

Time Out
Jun 10, 2009
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Alberta/N.W.T./Sask/B.C
Has this law ever actually been used?

You know it is illegal to have anal sex before 18, but legal to have regular sex before 18? Making it illegal for male homosexuals to have sex at that age but ok for anybody else. This is a much more offensive state of affairs.

There is a section in the criminal code for slander and libel,most cops dont even know about it.
It has been used in Canada.
 

Winnipeg10

Nominee Member
Sep 15, 2006
78
2
8
Hey FFP - Not that I'm trying to keep this painful exercise alive here, but did you have a point you wish to make, or perhaps a question? I asked a few questions earlier, but I guess you were too busy with other royal duties to have the time (or courtesy) to answer. A discussion usually requires more than one person, so here I am. Where are you?


sure...

Under lèse majesté laws, internet slander can carry a penalty up to 75 years in prison against a monarch. How important are these lèse majesté laws considering our sacred heads of states?


Our heads of states are the most important figures we have in society, and we protect them as such. Would you report this crime?

F.F. Prussia
 

Kakato

Time Out
Jun 10, 2009
4,929
21
38
Alberta/N.W.T./Sask/B.C
Yeah, by the one cop that knew about it and didn't like being insulted. It was a pretty funny case actually.
I just know about the gal who ran the dog breeding place in Ontario,someone was unhappy with his dog and he slandered her business all over the net,she had to take that section right in to a JP and press charges,She won and the guy even lost his internet for 2 years.

I was going to use it myself once when someone was posting pics and bad stuff about my god daughter,thats how I met her,she ran me through the process.
People arent really anon as they think they are.
 

givpeaceachance

Electoral Member
Mar 12, 2008
196
3
18
It's hard to not make slanderous comments about leaders because there is usually half of the population that disagree with what they do. The laws inhibit people from engaging in intelligent discussion for you can't have any real discussion if people are not allowed to think and speak freely.

Treason Laws, or Yes-Man Laws, were put in place to control, oppress and dumb down people because of two important things:
1- it broadens peoples perspectives to hear different sides; this helps us to learn and define what we really believe and they don't really like the sheeple to think for themselves. They tell us what to do, think and say and
2- back then, and probably still today, they didn't think that the average person was intelligent or privileged enough to talk about what they/leaders do; this was purely their business. Government has always been an elitist pursuit and if you didn't come from the right family or have the right kind of education/indoctrination, you could have no part in the club.

I personally don't think that people should be killed or go to jail because they have an opinion or say something against a political official. And I certainly don't think that the general public should be encouraged to police each other or become tattle tales. To do so would lead us into a new dark age.
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
sure...

Under lèse majesté laws, internet slander can carry a penalty up to 75 years in prison against a monarch. How important are these lèse majesté laws considering our sacred heads of states?


Our heads of states are the most important figures we have in society, and we protect them as such. Would you report this crime?

F.F. Prussia

Well, here's section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

[SIZE=-2]Fundamental freedoms[/SIZE] 2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: a) freedom of conscience and religion; b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and d) freedom of association

Seems to me that you could make a disparaging remark or two about our monarch and you'd be covered (section b).

Would I report this crme? No, I'd mind my own business.