Cultural expertise, hate speech, and the far right: the Slovak Mazurek case

Abstract

This article offers a case study of Slovakia focusing on the Mazurek case, the first criminal conviction of an incumbent Slovak far-right MP of hate speech. My explorative analysis uses data from my work as expert appointed by the investigation. It shows that cultural expertise in the Slovak hate speech cases involving prominent politicians has helped pinpoint the anti-minority narratives hidden behind the incriminated speech. The far right attempted to weaponize the legal process to cement their electoral base, raising the question of the mitigation strategies available to experts to counter this trend. The analysis points to the relevance of global legal pluralism not only in approaches to hate speech, but also regarding the interaction between the legal doctrine, the humanities and social sciences, and local legal regulation. The article concludes with positioning cultural expertise vis-à-vis global legal pluralism, whereby increased transparency of data from the proceedings and access to specialised training could mitigate the difficult position of cultural experts in hate speech.