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Backgrounder: What is Section 151? What are political rights? Print E-mail

What is Section 151 of the Bermuda Criminal Code?  (from Bermuda Laws Online)

Interfering with political liberty
151 Any person who by violence, or by threats or intimidation of any kind, hinders or interferes with the free exercise of any political right by another person, is guilty of an offence, and is liable on conviction by a court of summary jurisdiction to imprisonment for twelve months:

Provided that if the offender is a public officer and commits the offence in abuse of his authority, he is liable on conviction by a court of summary jurisdiction to imprisonment for twelve months and on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for two years.

What are "Political Rights"?  According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, these include: 

Article 19

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.

Article 26
All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

 

 
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