As Australians go to the polls, how does their country shape up on free expression? Helen Clark reports
From Assange to Murdoch: Australia’s free speech landscape
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CATEGORY: Religion and Culture
Hampstead teacher: Leave those kids alone!
What right does a North London head teacher have to report an “anarchist” student blogger to the police, asks Padraig Reidy
Richard Dawkins, communalism, and the death of an Indian hero
The atheist campaigner and his opponent should avoid easy generalisations that play into the hands of fundamentalists, says Padraig Reidy
United Kingdom: A tarnished reputation for free expression
The United Kingdom has a reasonably good freedom of expression environment although for a long-established democracy, its record is average.
Bedtime propaganda and parental responsibility
After a long day of work and parenting, my wife and I read our child stories in the hope that her five-year old brain and body will drift into...
United States: Free expression constrained by cultural and political factors
Freedom of expression is generally protected in the US, but political, legal, economic and cultural factors continue to constrain this fundamental right.
Germany: A positive environment for free expression clouded by surveillance
The situation with regards to freedom of expression in Germany is largely positive, but there are questions over internal mass surveillance.
Russia: Rolling back free expression
Russia’s environment for free expression is deteriorating, especially since the 2012 re-election of President Vladimir Putin.
Golden Dawn: The open question of Greek politics
As the Greek financial crisis drags on, politicians from the mainstream parties continue to flirt with the far-right Golden Dawn and mainstream media downplays the threat that the party represents, Christos Syllas writes
France: Strict defamation and privacy laws limit free expression
Freedom of expression is generally protected in France, although is limited by strict defamation and privacy laws. Several laws have passed since 1972 that have further restricted this fundamental right.
Canada’s record on free expression under pressure
Despite having a generally positive free expression record, Canada has, in recent years, taken some regressive steps.
Italy’s free expression hamstrung by lack of media plurality
The situation for freedom of expression in Italy is curtailed by a lack of media plurality, restrictive media legislation and a digital sphere restricted by a strict privacy law.
