Landmark free speech ruling in Belgium 🇧🇪 | MCC Brussels update
In 2024, MCC Brussels was caught in a running battle with three Brussels mayors who attempted to cancel the National Conservatism Conference (NatCon) – a lawful event we were involved in hosting.
Now, the French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels has delivered a landmark ruling on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, unequivocally condemning the Commune de Saint-Josse-ten-Noode for trying to block NatCon in April 2024.
This ruling is particularly significant because it follows two earlier decisions by the Conseil d’État in 2024 – meaning both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking judicial authorities have now effectively spoken with one voice.
The Court confirmed a vital constitutional principle:
➡️ public authorities don’t just have a duty not to censor
➡️ they also have a positive obligation to protect fundamental rights – even when events are controversial and face opposition
In other words: if a lawful conference is threatened by protests, the correct response is to protect the event, not ban it.
The ruling also rejects the logic of the “heckler’s veto” – the idea that speech can be silenced simply because others threaten disruption.
Damages were symbolic (€1), but the precedent is anything but symbolic.
👇 If you care about free speech in Europe, this is a decision you should know about.
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Credit to : MCC Brussels