Waverley Local Court magistrate Robbie Williams has ruled that citizens in South Wales are free to use “prick” in referring to police officers. The ruling ends the prosecution of science student Henry Grech, 22, who used the word to describe Senior Constable Adam Royds during a confrontation.
The rationale for the ruling is a bit less satisfying. Rather than protecting the right of free speech, Williams disagreed that a reasonable person would be offended by being called a “prick” and noted that “I consider the word prick is of a less derogatory nature than other words and it is in common usage in this country.”
Well, it would hardly be described as a term of endearment.
We continue to see cases in the United States where officers improperly arrest people for the use of profanity with officers or other citizens, here and here. Recently, a man won $5000 after being arrested for “flipping the bird” at an officer, here. South Dakota’s Supreme Court recently ruled that citizens have a protected right in swearing at police, here.
Recently, a lawyer was arrested for calling an officer a “prick” in a courtroom, here — though the rules governing conduct in court are different from those that apply on the streets.
Police Association secretary Peter Remfrey complained that the ruling made police “second-class citizens”.
I would suggest that Remfrey simply quote the Bard from The Merchant of Venice: “If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.”
For the full story, click here.
Well they do carry those Prick Stick’s even the women too.
how about whistling the theme from f-troup while they were serving a warrant at my house
ChaZ,
Call a cop a Keystone Kop and see how that free speech thingy is working out for you (in your country).
Please not also that “free speech” under the U.S. First Amendment is not an Australian or Welch thingy.
So your prick attempt at whatever you were attempting did not quite convince me of your First Amendment appreciations, in that, you attacked my U.S. First Amendment speaking out here in the U.S. where as the professor pointed out, can be quite prickly.
do not go to this link:
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2010/01/foreign-citizens-united-v-fec.html
Dredd,
As usual, the link you provided us have nothing to do with our freedom of speech versus the insulting of our local authorities. Why do you keep posting your blog link for us to read non-relevant issues that’s currently at hand?
Sure, your link does discuss about police force (and the imitating of the art/life), but still does not even broach the subject about our constitutional right which this blog focus heavily on.
From now on I will not click on your links. I’ve learned my lesson.
Does that mean we could call them “The Keystone Complex”?
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2010/05/keystone-complex-to-rescue-2.html
..love your blog.
But ‘New South Wales’ is NOT Welsh. Try Sydney Australia