No, really, censorship of the internet really isn’t a free speech issue. The Culture Secretary says so. “There is content that should just not be available to be viewed. That is my view. Absolutely categorical. This is not a campaign against free speech, far from it; it is simply there

As a libertarian, I have a commitment to free speech, something seen in the past few days on this site. However, is everything an issue of free speech? Here we have the same old religious dispute again: A religious group's fight to place a monument in a public park is at the center of a Supreme Court dispute over governments' power to limit speech. Pleasant Grove City, Utah, is asking th...

A US Supreme Court ruling rightly argues that all speech should be free, not just speech that is ‘socially beneficial’.

It is worth returning to Channel 4’s decision to have President Ahmadinejad deliver its alternative Christmas message. Predictably, those who have attacked the decision have been accused of opposition to free speech—just look at some of the comments on the Skimmer’s post. But this criticism misses a crucial distinction: there is a difference between allowing free speech and provi...

There should be full freedom of speech for ‘extremists’ in British universities – and also for those who want to slate or ridicule them.

From OneNewsNow By Chad Groening A Canadian pro-family leader is pleased that the Canadian Conservative Party has overwhelmingly approved a resolution to repeal the "hate speech" provision that has been used to squelch the free speech rights of Christians and others who speak out against homosexuality. Read the rest of this entry >>

Governments across Europe must do more to protect people of Muslim backgrounds who face attacks for exercising their right to free speech, according to a report released yesterday.

Free speech is  messy.  If it weren't messy, free speech would not require legal protection. In fact, free speech only really matters when it offends.  Speech that doesn't offend doesn't require legal protection, and is only speech. Standing on a flag is legally protected political expression in America. This is true whether the flag is the American flag, or the ...

As in so many other ways, I'm an extremist believer in free speech. I believe that Abu Hookhand should have the freedom to call down a plague on our houses as much as I should have the freedom of speech to call him a cunt, or Prince Harry to call his friend a Paki. Really, the professionally aggrieved make things worse by suppressing them. This whole thing about specific words causing offence is a...

Personally I am totally opposed to homophobia, however I believe people must be free to express their views, providing they do not set out to incite hatred of any group. Last week the House of Commons debated these matters in the one hour’s debate on the free speech amendments in the Coroners’ and Justice Bill. In all