5/24/2017 LimitationsWhatwedoArticle19

Limitations
Mostexpressioniscompletelyharmlessandprotectedundertherightto
freedomofexpressionfrominterferencebythestate.

However,seeking,receivingandimpartinginformationorideasincludesexpressionwhich
fewsocietiescouldtolerate,suchasincitementtomurderorthesaleofpornographyto
children.Asaresult,freedomofexpressionisnotabsoluteandcanbelimitedwhenitconflicts
withotherrights.

Internationallawdeclaresfreedomofexpressiontobetherule.Limitationsaretheexception,
permittedonlytoprotect:

therightsorreputationsofothers

nationalsecurity

publicorder

publichealth

morals.

Limitationislegitimateifitfallswithintheverynarrowconditionsdefinedinthethreeparttest
inArticle19(3)oftheICCPR:

1.PROVIDEDBYLAW...
Therighttofreedomofexpressioncannotbelimitedatthewhimofapublicofficial.They
mustbeapplyingalaworregulationthatisformallyrecognisedbythoseentrustedwithlaw
making.

Thelaworregulationmustmeetstandardsofclarityandprecisionsothatpeoplecanforesee
theconsequencesoftheiractions.Vaguelywordededicts,whosescopeisunclear,willnotmeet
thisstandardandarethereforenotlegitimate.Forexample,vagueprohibitionsonsowing
discordinsocietyorpaintingafalseimageoftheStatewouldfailthetest.

Therationale

Itisonlyfairthatpeoplehaveareasonableopportunitytoknowwhatisprohibited,sothat
theycanactaccordingly

Asituationwhereofficialscanmakerulesonawhimisundemocratic.Decisionslimiting
humanrightsmustbemadebybodiesrepresentingthewillofpeople

Vaguelawswillbeabused.Theyoftengiveofficialsdiscretionarypowersthatleavetoo
muchroomforarbitrarydecisionmaking

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Vaguelawshaveachillingeffectandinhibitdiscussiononmattersofpublicconcern.
Theycreateasituationofuncertaintyaboutwhatispermitted,resultinginpeoplesteering
farclearofanycontroversialtopicforfearthatitmaybeillegal,evenifitisnot.

2.LEGITIMATEAIM
Theremustbealegitimateaimtolimittherighttofreedomofexpression.Thelistoflegitimate
aimsisnotopenended.TheyareprovidedforinArticle19(3)oftheICCPR:respectforthe
rightsandreputationsofothers,andprotectionofnationalsecurity,publicorder(ordrepublic),
publichealthormorals.Theyareexclusiveandcannotbeaddedto.

Therationale

Notallthemotivesunderlyinggovernmentsdecisionstolimitfreedomofexpressionare
compatiblewithdemocraticgovernment.Forexample,adesiretoshieldagovernmentfrom
criticismcanneverjustifylimitationsonfreespeech

Theaimmustbelegitimateinpurposeandeffect.Itisnotenoughforaprovisiontohavean
incidentaleffectononeofthelegitimateaims.Iftheprovisionwascreatedforanother
reason,itwillnotpassthispartofthetest.

3.NECESSITY
Anylimitationoftherighttofreedomofexpressionmustbetrulynecessary.Evenifa
limitationisinaccordancewithaclearlawandservesalegitimateaim,itwillonlypassthetest
ifitistrulynecessaryfortheprotectionofthatlegitimateaim.Ifalimitationisnotneeded,why
imposeit?

Inthegreatmajorityofcaseswhereinternationalcourtshaverulednationallawstobe
impermissiblelimitationsontherighttofreedomofexpression,itwasbecausetheywerenot
deemedtobenecessary.

Therationale

Agovernmentmustbeactinginresponsetoapressingsocialneed,notmerelyoutof
convenience.Onascalebetweenusefulandindispensable,necessaryshouldbeclose
toindispensable

Agovernmentshouldalwaysusealessintrusivemeasureifitexistsandwouldaccomplish
thesameobjective.Forexample,shuttingdownanewspaperfordefamationisexcessivea
retraction(orperhapsacombinationofaretractionandawarningoramodestfine)would
offerthevictimofdefamationadequateprotection

Themeasuremustimpairfreeexpressionaslittleaspossible.Itshouldnotrestrictina
broadoruntargetedway,asthatcouldinterferewithlegitimateexpression.Forexample,it
istoobroadtobanalldiscussionaboutacountrysarmedforcesinordertoprotectnational
security

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Theimpactofthemeasuremustbeproportionateandtheharmthatitcausestofree
expressionmustnotoutweighitsbenefits.Forexample,alimitationthatprovidesonly
partialprotectiontosomeonesreputationbutseriouslyunderminesfreeexpressionis
disproportionate

Acourtmusttakeintoaccountallofthecircumstancesatthattimebeforedecidingtolimit
freedomofexpression.Forexample,itcouldbelegitimatetolimitfreedomofexpression
fornationalsecurityreasonsduringaconflictbutnotduringpeacetime

TheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights(ECHR)narrowsthethirdtestbyrequiring
limitationstobenecessaryinademocraticsociety.Thiswordingispreferableasit
clarifiesthatthepurposeofthelimitationmustneverbetoshieldgovernmentsfromeither
criticismorpeacefulopposition.

WHATISALIMITATIONORRESTRICTION?
Internationalcourtshavegenerallyjudgedthatanyactionbyapublicbodythathasanactual
effectonpeoplesfreedomofexpressionconstitutesarestrictionorlimitation.

Thenatureoftheactionisirrelevant.Itcouldbeanythingfromalawtoaninternal
disciplinarymeasure

Thenatureofthepublicbodyisirrelevant.Itcouldbelegislative,executiveorjudicial,ora
publiclyownedenterprise

Theextentoftheactionsimpactisirrelevant.Anydiscernibleeffectontheabilityofoneor
morepeopletoexpressthemselvesfreelyisarestriction.

TheECHRagainnarrowsthedefinitionofalimitation,requiringthethreeparttesttoapplyto
anyformalities,conditions,restrictionsorpenaltiesunderArticle10(2).

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