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Chapter VI: The Right to Freedom of Discussion
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Law_101-150.indd 146 1/27/12 1:20 PM Principles laid down in foreign constitution. Chapter VI TilE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF DISCUSSION The Declaration of the Rights of Man1 and the French Constitution of 1791proclaim freedom of discussion and the liberty of the press in terms which are still cited in text-books2 as embodying maxims of French jurisprudence. La fibre communication des pensees et des opinions est un des droits les plus predeux de l'homme; tout citoyen peut done parler, ecrire, imprimer librement, saufa repondre del'abus de cette liberte dans les cas determines par la loi. "3 La constitution garantit, comme droit nature! et civil ... la librete atout homme de parler, d'ecrire, d'imprimer et publier ses pensees, sans que ses ecrits puissent etre soumis aaucune censure ou inspection avant leur publication.4 Belgian law, again, treats the liberty of the press as a fundamental article of the constitution. Art. 18. La presse est fibre; la censure ne pourra jamais etre etablie: il ne peut etre exige de cautionnement des ecrivains, editeurs ou imprimeurs. Lorsque /'auteur est connu et domicilie en Belgique, l'editeur, l'imprimeur ou le distributeur ne peut etre poursuivi. 5 1 Duguit et Monnier, Les Constitutions de Ia France, p. 1. 2 Bourguignon, Elements Generaux de Legislation Fram;aise, p. 468. 3 Declar. des droits, art. 11, Plouard, p. 16, Duguit et Monnier, p. 2. 4 Constitution de 1791, Tit. 1; Plouard, p. 18, Duguit et Monnier, p. 4ยท 5 Constitution de Ia Belgique, art. 18. PART/I Law_101-150.indd 147 1/27/12 1:20 PM No principle of freeaom of discussion recognised by English law. English law only secures that no one shall be punished except for statements proved to be breach of law. THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF DISCUSSION Both the revolutionists ofFrance and the constitutionalists of Belgium borrowed their ideas about freedom of opinion and the liberty of the press from England, and most persons form such loose notions as to English law that the idea prevails in England itself that the right to the free expression of opinion, and especially that form of it which is known as the ''liberty of the press," are fundamental doctrines of the law of England in the same sense in which they were part of the ephemeral constitution of 1791and still are embodied in the articles of the existing Belgian constitution; and, further, that our Courts recognise the right of every man to say and write what he pleases, especially on social, political, or religious topics, without fear of legal penalties. Yet this notion, justified though it be, to a certain extent, by the habits of modern English life, is essentially false, and conceals from students the real attitude of English law towards what is called "freedom of thought," and is more accurately described as the "right to the free expression of opinion." As every lawyer knows, the phrases "freedom of discussion" or "liberty of the press" are rarely found in any part of the statute-book nor among the maxims of the common law.6 As terms of art they are indeed quite unknown to our Courts. At no time has there in England been any proclamation of the right to liberty of thought or to freedom of speech. The true state of things cannot be better described than in these words from an excellent treatise on the law of libel: Our present law permits any one to say, write, and publish what he pleases; but if he make a bad use of this liberty he must be punished_If he unjustly attack an individual, the person defamed may sue for damages; if, on the other hand, the words be written or printed, or if treason or immorality be thereby inculcated, the offender can be tried for the misdemeanour either by information or indictment.7 Any man may, therefore, say or write whatever he likes, subject to the risk of, it may be, severe punishmentif he publishes any statement (either by word of mouth, in writing, or in print) which he is not legally entitled to make. Nor is the law_ of England specially 6 Itappears, however, in the Preamble to Lord Campbell's Act, 1843, 6 & 7 Viet. c. 96. 7 Odgers, Libeland Slander, Introd. (3rd ed.}, p. 12. CHAPTER VI 147 [34.230.35.103] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 16:59 GMT) Law_101-150.indd 148 1/27/12 1:20 PM LAW OF THE CONSTITUTION...