A
potentially landmark Human Rights case resulting
from a year-long dispute between Belfast City Council
and the free cultural newspaper The Vacuum is due
to take place on Tuesday 13th September 2005.
The
Council's demand that the publication provide an
apology to 'citizens of the city' and 'members of
the Council' for offence caused in previous issues
is being challenged in the High Court by one of
the paper's editors, Richard West, as a breach of
the European Convention on Human Rights. If successful,
this will be the first time, since the coming into
force of the Human Rights Act 1998, that a local
authority will have been held to be in breach of
an individual or organisation's right to freedom
of expression as protected under the legislation.
The
legal showdown comes amidst heated debate over the
new Incitement to Religious Hatred Bill and its
potential to curtail free expression. It also follows
the debate about the play 'Behzti' (Dishonour) which
was closed after violent protests by the Sikh community
and the BBC received unprecedented numbers of complaints
about the broadcast of 'Jerry Springer the Opera'.
The
Belfast controversy arose from a single complaint
from a member of the public concerning 'God' and
'Satan' themed issues of The Vacuum published in
June 2005. Councillors reacted by describing it
as 'filth', claiming that it was 'encouraging devil
worship' and voting 24-12 to withhold an agreed
funding allocation of £3,300 until an apology
was provided. This prompted The Vacuum to hold a
satirical 'Sorry Day' in December ridiculing the
council's demand for an apology, but also raising
serious questions about censorship and freedom of
speech.
In
stark contrast to the attitude of the city authorities
towards The Vacuum, its publishers, Factotum, have
been selected as part of a delegation of artists
to represent Northern Ireland at the Venice Biennale
this summer. They have also been nominated for the
prestigious Paul Hamlyn Award and received commissions
to produce new publications in London and Dublin.
The paper currently has a circulation of 15,000,
concentrated in Belfast where it is available to
pick up in cafes, bars, libraries, galleries, cinemas
and hotels, and is lauded for making a valuable
contribution to cultural life in the city.
