European court's version of French Meta let's 'Get lost you sad idiot' stand
Activist 'within his rights' to insult French president
Ever felt the desire to give your head of state an earful but were unsure how far to go? On Thursday a European court made a potentially landmark ruling deciding that telling a French President to 'Get lost you sad idiot' was absolutely fine.
We've all experienced the desire to confront a prime minister or president and tell them exactly what we think of them. But given the opportunity to come face to face with a country's most powerful person, what can an ordinary citizen get away with saying without being hauled before a court?
France and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg clearly have a difference of opinion in what should be classed as offensive.
On Thursday the European court made a potentially landmark ruling in favour freedom of speech in deciding France was wrong to convict a member of the public, who had offended the then French President Nicolas Sarkozy in public in 2008.
http://www.thelocal.fr/page/view/activist-had-right-to-insult-french-president-court#.UUH8EDei2So
