Wolfgang and McG, as I said much earlier, the "fire" analogy has no place in this argument. (I've always been amazed that it cut any ice even in the context in which it was first drawn.) "Free speech" is well understood in English and welsh law to be about freedom of expression. Deliberately confusing this with a malicious intent to create panic serves no purpose. (I suppose it is for this simple, common-sense reason that no-one ever claimed "free speech" to be a complete and absolute defence in any action for slander.)

In a free world we are entitled to our thoughts. And we are entitled to express our thoughts. Start qualifying that and you're impinging on basic freedoms. Living up to the sentiment attributed to Voltaire may be hard work for individuals, but that's no excuse for a state or government to equivocate.)