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...
Use of Facial Recognition Technology in India: A Function Creep Breaching Privacy
Criminal investigation has become convenient for the law enforcement agencies after the advent of “Facial Recognition Technology” (FRT) in India. Regardless of its benefits, it’s a threat to privacy and...
The constitutionality of section 10 of the South African Equality Act: a case for balancing the rights to equality, dignity and freedom of expression
Section 10 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (“the Equality Act”) has not been without controversy and robust opprobrium. Since its inception, numerous legal academics...
Forgetting liberté: France’s new security law imperils freedom of expression
On Saturday 21 November, despite a nationwide lockdown, thousands took to the streets across France to protest the loi de securité globale (global security law) being debated in the General...
The Redundancy of Opposition: Patriots Only in Hong Kong’s “Legislature”
On 11 November 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) decided to disqualify four members of the emergency sixth-term Hong Kong Legislative Council (the “Decision”), as they...