Bradley Says Mira’s Case Doesn’t Meet Cyberbullying Threshold

A minister’s cyberbullying complaint is facing legal blowback, raising questions about how the law is being used. Attorney Dickie Bradley is weighing in on Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira’s complaint against former UDP Chairman Alberto August, and he’s not convinced it holds up. Bradley says the Cybercrime Act was designed to tackle serious online abuse like harassment, revenge porn, and explicit content meant to cause harm, not political memes or satire. He warns that taking this case to court could backfire, potentially putting the minister in an uncomfortable spotlight. Here’s how Bradley breaks it down.

 

Dickie Bradley, Attorney at law

“You commit an offense if you transmit any computer data but it has to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, profane, vulgar with the intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress. That is the intention for you to put out your satire, your parody, whatever it is. Also if you cause the other person to be subjected to public ridicule, contempt, hatred or embarrassment or you repeatedly the send to another person, these type of messages. So what the law is saying, first of all whatever it is you put out it has to be decent and lewd and naked pictures or sexual positions, whatever it is. It has to first cross that hurdle. The minister’s made no statement about the unfortunate killing of a beloved doctor. He didn’t say anything. He made that statement months ago about two black persons who were engaged in some criminal activity. Serious criminal activity and he made the statement. So they’re taking that same statement and applying it like you know but that does not meet the beginning threshold of what the law is saying. And you have used the words that the person who is making the allegation, the minister who is making the allegation that I have been cyber bullied, he will look bad if he goes to court. He needs to take some quick advice from his political constituents committee and he can tell the nation I have no time to waste with any kind of nonsense there. I have bigger fish to fry right now. Especially I need to go through the vegetables and the meats and so on.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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