Preventive Detention for Bursting Myths: The Draconian National Security Act in India
A Supreme Court bench of India comprising Honourable Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah directed the release of political activist Leichombam Erendro, who was detained for a Facebook post following...
Association Accept and Others v. Romania: The European Court of Human Rights Takes a Fresh Look at Homophobic Speech and Biased Criminal-Law Enforcement
That hate-speech victims (who have sued unsuccessfully in a CoE member state) should obtain redress in Strasbourg is hardly surprising nowadays and ought not to constitute ‘news’. Yet their cases...
South African Constitutional Court sentences former President Zuma to 15 months’ in prison for contempt of court
On 29 June 2021, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ran out of patience with former President Zuma’s very public recalcitrance, finding the former President guilty of contempt of court...
Arbitrary Blocking of Websites Violates Freedom of Expression, Rules ECtHR
In June 2020, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a series of four judgements against the arbitrary blocking of websites by the Roskomnadzor, which is the Russian federal body...
Reconceptualising ‘Reputation’ post #MeToo
In October 2018, India’s #MeToo wave witnessed an explosion of online testimonies against sexual predators, by women from all walks of professional life. Salient among them was an accusation of...
What Price Comedy? Freedom of Expression and Dignity Clash at Canada’s Supreme Court
The boy with a subwoofer on his head. When I complained that he sang badly, I was told “He’s dying. Let him live his dream.” It’s been five years…and he’s...
Minority Vilification: Redress for Community Members
On 16 February 2021, the European Court of Human Rights delivered landmark judgments against Bulgaria regarding ethnic minority berating: Behar and Gutman; Budinova and Chaprazov. The Court found violations of...
An opportunity lost for the protection of freedom of expression and LGBTI rights in Jamaica
On 30 October 2020, the Jamaican Court of Appeal handed down its long awaited judgment in the case of Tomlinson v TVJ and CVM. Tomlinson, a gay Jamaican man, argued...
Hong Kong: Anti-Mask Law Held Constitutional (but please wear a mask for COVID-19)
The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (“HKCFA”) recently held that the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation(“PFCR”) was constitutional. The PFCR was introduced by the Chief Executive in Council on...
Trump and Twitter: A Freedom of Speech Quagmire
The banning of US President Donald Trump from Twitter and a sundry of other social media platforms, after his public utterances and tweets are said to have led to the...
Internet Access as a Derivative Component of the Freedom of Expression
The judgement in the case of Amnesty International Togo v The Togolese Republic [2020] asserts access to internet is a “derivative” right within the context of the right to freedom...
When data protection eclipses national security: Brazil’s Supreme Court leans towards unconstitutionality of ministerial dossier on antifascists
In June 2020, the headline “classified governmental action aims at antifascist professors and police officers” was published by a Brazilian newspaper of national circulation. According to the outlet, the Ministry...
