In Spain two journalists have been fined 3,000 Euros each (about £2,100 or a little over US$4,200) for what the offence of what appears to be insulting the monarchy ...

The judge is reported to have said in court that the cartoon "vilified the crown in the most gratuitous and unnecessary way". Wow!

While the cartoon seems to have been in poor taste, I've always associated this kind 'offence' with the kind of monarchies that were overthrown in the later stages of WW1.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7092866.stm

If you're going to have such an institution as monarchy it seems appropriate to me to back its dignity. Individuals can sue for defamation of character but royals don't generally come forward as individuals to sue in the courts. Instead, the State itself backs them. Makes sense to me.

Most modern monarchies manage without this kind of prop ...

Such a heinous crime

Haven't the Spanish courts got better things to be doing?

And there's me thinking the Spanish Inquisition died out years ago ........

OK - it may well be in poor taste - but I suggest the judge goes and takes a look at scribblings on public toilet walls, and in the Spanish ghettos, if he wants to see REAL "poor taste" jokes about the Spanish Monarchy - because this is extremely mild by comparison!