Paul Coleman

Paul Coleman is a British lawyer advocating for online speech rights, while Lord Toby Young leads the Free Speech Union. They delve into how the U.K. has shifted from a bastion of free expression to a land where tweets get users arrested. Topics include the impact of policing priorities on hate speech, administrative censorship in universities, and the historical roots of free speech in Britain. They caution that suppressing dissent threatens truth and democracy, but express cautious optimism for potential reforms in the future.

Join Paul Coleman, a British lawyer with expertise in international human rights, Kristen Waggoner, CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom, and John Steenhof, an Australian lawyer focused on faith rights, as they delve into the precarious state of religious freedom. They discuss the rise of hate speech laws and the erosion of conscience rights, revealing how modern legal frameworks are reshaping fundamental freedoms. Their compelling insights highlight the urgency of defending free speech and the significance of individual beliefs in today's increasingly secular society.

In this conversation, Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, sheds light on the recent criticism of free speech in the UK sparked by J.D. Vance's remarks. They discuss the troubling case of Adam Smith-Connor, arrested for silently praying near an abortion clinic. Coleman raises alarms about new buffer zone laws that curtail peaceful expressions of belief. The discussion also tackles the widening censorship landscape in Europe and its implications for American values, signaling a potential shift in the free speech narrative.

Paul Coleman, from Alliance Defending Freedom, delves into global censorship trends, including hate speech laws, misinformation impact on Brexit/Trump, and the UN's role in governance. Challenges in combating disinformation, EU's hate speech laws, and the importance of transparency in addressing censorship are discussed.

Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International and author of Censored, joins Brendan O'Neill to discuss the unstoppable march of censorship, the totalitarian roots of hate-speech laws, and the dangers of subjective hate speech laws that suppress free speech.