Looks like even what’s left of our “freedom” is vanishing…

I’m very much in favour of freedom of speech. In fact I would almost go so far as to say that I’m on favour of absolute freedom of speech. The question then becomes the point at which speech ceases to be merely speech and becomes an action. IMO incitement to terrorism qualifies as comfortably as shouting “fire” on a tube train.

Hate speech is odious but it is neither practical nor desirable to imprison everyone who dislikes some other person or group - we would almost all be imprisoned immediately, myself for a blanket loathing of racists and homophobes both individually and as a group. However…attempting to persuade others to commit murder is - or should be - treated as conspiracy to commit. Much as people should own their own thoughts and therefore the rights to encourage in others whatever thoughts they wish, so they should not own completely their own actions where those actions are proscribed or therefore the right to encourage others to commit such actions. There is no moral or intellectual leap needed from protecting freedom of speech to calling for the prevention of incitement to murder.

(Though as you so rightly say the unworldly pronouncements of the judge in this case, and his frank admission of ignorance as to what a website might be, do not reflect too brightly on our judiciary. It is of course only urban myth that one of our judges once asked in genuine ignorance who the Beatles were, but asking in 2007 what a website is measures little better on the Ivory Tower scale.)