Your Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech. It sounds so simple, natural even. We have the right to voice our opinions in any way we please, whether verbally, in writing or both. We have the right to be heard; and to hear the opinions of others without being obliged to believe what they say. For the most part UK citizens have always had this right, so it may sound obvious to you and not need elaboration. We are lucky enough to live in a democratic society that believes in the rights, the human rights, of its people. Everyone has the right to their opinion, just as you have the right not to listen.

However, there are many countries, and millions of people, who do not have freedom of speech. They do not have the right to hear, watch, or read anything apart from sanitised and sanctioned material. Those that do read anything else are treated as extremists, subject to imprisonment or worse.

We have had the benefit of this and many other human rights for quite some considerable time, despite news reports that would seem to state otherwise. Our law has not been decided in a rush and made by those living a privileged lifestyle. It has been built by the decisions made in Courts, with juries of our peers and the Court has always been a place of equality and fairness.

Our freedom to speak out against injustice, or just voice our opinion about the state of Local Government, has already been well-established. However the fact that this is one of our sacrosanct human rights was not properly confirmed until The Human Rights Act 1998. This has placed into our law, among other human rights, the fact that we can have our own opinions and discuss these opinions freely and without fear of reprisal or interference from the Government. This is under Article 10 of the Act and called ‘Freedom of Expression’.

Is it the Same as Freedom of the Press?

Yes and No. The members of the press have the human right to print anything they want, provided they don’t invade another’s privacy and that they have the evidence to back up their assertions. In a way, you are also constrained by the same thing. As with any right you also have responsibilities; you are subject to the law when it comes to slander and libel and you cannot knowingly reveal information given to you in confidence. Nor can you say anything that would threaten the public safety, national security or undermine the legal system.

Essentially this means that, although you may believe that what you are saying is true, you cannot put up posters encouraging people to commit crime, or start a riot. Similarly you cannot make a libelous statement to the press about someone you know.

So What Can I Do?

Pretty much anything you want; if you have strong opinions about how the country is being run, you can voice them. If you have cold, hard proof about crimes being committed, you can go to the authorities and tell them. It may seem obvious that you have this right, but the fact remains that many other countries do not, and if a UK Government body is trying to stop you from, for instance, giving a speech about crime in your neighbourhood, or writing a report on the state of the local primary care trust, they are breaching your right to freedom of expression, one of your fundamental human rights and you have the right to take action against them.