I want to know the past, people shouldn’t be able to alter records, said former UN free speech guru Frank La Rue
Our knowledge about the past shouldn’t be restricted, says former UN free speech rapporteur
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CATEGORY: United Kingdom
Padraig Reidy: A disgraceful use of the Communications Act
The prosecution of Pastor James McConnell under the Communications Act is the action of a prosecution service more interested in appearing to be liberal than upholding justice and rights
Fear of terror and offence pushing critical voices out of UK universities
From a government crackdown on extremism to marketing departments’ concerns over branding, lecturer Thomas Docherty looks at the threats to the tradition of free discussion on campus
Padraig Reidy: Just another old man yelling at a cloud?
Every so often (roughly generationally) there are upheavals in mores and language. We’re on that cusp now.
Padraig Reidy: We cannot choose which free speech we will defend and which we will not
If we are to imagine free speech as a defining value of democracy (as David Cameron has said he does) then we cannot just choose which free speech we will defend and which we will not (as David Cameron has said he wants to)
Pre-vetting broadcast content? That’s what dictatorships do, not democracies
The idea that the government should have a role in assessing content before it is broadcast should set alarm bells ringing, writes Jodie Ginsberg
Padraig Reidy: James Rhodes and the visceral need to be heard
I was reminded of poet Carolyn Forché and her concept of witness when I read the reactions to the court decision that would finally allow pianist James Rhodes to publish his memoir, Instrumental
Padraig Reidy: Why did the government panic over a few letters on farming?
With the publication of Prince Charles’ “black spider” letters, ministers fear they will lose control of the freedom of information process
New extremism laws would stifle free speech
The UK Home Secretary’s preview of a proposed new counter-extremism bill raises the stakes for freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. Index on Censorship is disturbed by the potential impact on free speech embedded in the proposals.
Media freedom in Europe needs action more than words
Freedom of expression is an assumed right in the European Union. But that assumption is little more than an idea anchored in our mental routine.
Dunja Mijatović: The good fight must continue | Mass surveillance: Journalists confront the moment of hesitation | The women challenging Bosnia’s divided media | World Press Freedom Day: Call to protect freedom of expression