The law passed by Tennessee legislators that banned many drag performances violated the First Amendment. A legal scholar explains the judge’s decision in the case.
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Articles on Free speech
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The quality of public debate over free speech in higher education matters. And the debate right now gets the facts all wrong.
Trans activists are running a campaign against University of Melbourne philosopher Holly Lawford-Smith. It raises a host of challenging ethical questions.
The constitutionality of the recent wave of proposed book bans is unclear, as the US Supreme Court has given states wide latitude to regulate what is read in public schools and libraries.
Differences over what counts as indoctrination lie behind a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in Florida. PEN America’s CEO deems book removals ‘a deliberate attempt to suppress diverse voices’.
George Santos has admitted to having said some stupid things. But his lying became the subject of a federal probe that has resulted in criminal charges.
Free speech is under attack from both sides of the political spectrum.
Free speech protections in federal law likely mean a new Tennessee law restricting or banning some drag shows will be found unconstitutional, says a First Amendment scholar.
Cartoonists throughout the nation’s history have been jailed, beaten, sued and censored. But Scott Adams’ work is being rejected for what he expressed off the page.
A satirist posted a parody of a police Facebook page. He was arrested and jailed for four days. How far do free speech protections extend when it comes to satire about government?
The ability of professors to freely teach and write about controversial topics without fear of retribution is nothing new.
Calls have erupted to cancel two writers from Adelaide Writers’ Week – including from South Australia’s Opposition leader. Why? And are they justified? Denis Muller weighs the evidence.
‘Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.’ It’s often misunderstood, by many Americans. A constitutional scholar explains what it really boils down to.
When candidates can get elected to Congress based on a mountain of lies they’ve told, is it time to reconsider whether such lies are protected by the First Amendment?
Many digital services currently hosted on social media platforms are critical to democracy. Governments must build alternative infrastructures that allow citizens to control their own data.
Bias-motivated attacks became a distinct crime in the 1980s. But police investigate only a fraction of the roughly 200,000 hate crimes reported each year – and even fewer ever make it to court.
‘America’s finest news source’ The Onion wants the US Supreme Court to answer some difficult questions: is satire protected speech, and if so, how do we define it?
We should be concerned about the sweeping discretion social media companies have over so much of our speech.
Universities should look to democratic innovations seen in society like ‘mini publics’ where citizens deliberate about critical issues in representative forums.
It’s understandable some people wish to publicly grieve the Queen and offer their respects to her and the monarchy. But those who disagree with the monarchy also have a right to freedom of speech.
Top contributors
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Professor of Politics and Public Policy, The University of Queensland
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Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Law; Kim Santow Chair of Law and Social Justice, University of Sydney
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Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication, University of Florida
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Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University
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Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Technology Sydney
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Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law. President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics., Griffith University
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Professor of Higher Education, University of Mississippi
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Lecturer in Political Theory and Philosophy, Queen's University Belfast
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Lecturer, School of Law, University of Aberdeen
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Professor of Law, University of Dayton
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Principal Fellow and Professor of Music, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Human Rights Law, Griffith University
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Distinguished Professor of Workplace Law, RMIT University
