Freedom of Expression/History/Country sources/United Kingdom
What is the oldest written source in this country that mentions this right?
United Kingdom
Freedom of expression was first codified in the United Kingdom through the Human Rights Act of 1998. This piece of legislation protected the liberties guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, including Article 10, which states that “everyone has the right to freedom of expression” (“European Convention on Human Rights” 1953, 12). That said, prior to the ratification of the HRA freedom of speech had a somewhat ambiguous protected status, with some courts in the UK suggesting that common law recognized the right (Barendt 2009, 1).
Barendt, Eric. “Freedom of Expression in the United Kingdom Under the Human Rights Act 1998.” Indiana Law Journal Vol. 84, Iss. 3, Art. 4 (Summer 2009). https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1125&context=ilj “European Convention on Human Rights.” Council of Europe. Accessed June 27, 2023. https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/convention_eng “Human Rights Act of 1998.” Government of the United Kingdom. Accessed June 27, 2023. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/section/1