{"id":22094,"date":"2023-07-17T19:57:29","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T19:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/?p=22094"},"modified":"2023-07-18T22:06:08","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T22:06:08","slug":"balancing-freedoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/balancing-freedoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedoms of Expression II"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/balancing-freedoms\/#Freedom_of_Expression\" title=\"Freedom of Expression\">Freedom of Expression<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/balancing-freedoms\/#Commercial_Communication\" title=\"Commercial Communication\">Commercial Communication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/balancing-freedoms\/#Proportionality\" title=\"Proportionality\">Proportionality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/balancing-freedoms\/#Prior_Restraints\" title=\"Prior Restraints\">Prior Restraints<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/balancing-freedoms\/#Blasphemy\" title=\"Blasphemy\">Blasphemy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Freedom_of_Expression\"><\/span>Freedom of Expression<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Constitution protects freedom of expression, assembly and association. \u00a0Each is subject to considerations of public order and morality.<\/p>\n<p>The right to express opinions and convictions is a right to communicate facts and the \u00a0right to comment on them. Freedom of expression includes the right to make and express political opinions and criticise the government.<\/p>\n<p>Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act 1960 allowed the making of orders preventing certain classes of material from being broadcast if the Minister concerned was of the opinion that it would undermine the authority of the State.\u00a0 Broadcasts made for or on behalf of Sinn Fein or inviting support for it were prohibited under a ministerial order.<\/p>\n<p>The constitutionality of the order was challenged on the grounds that was inconsistent with the guarantee of freedom of expression protected by the Constitution. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 31 on the basis that freedom of expression had not been unduly restricted.<\/p>\n<p>It indicated that the State is entitled to control rights and freedoms in certain cases. \u00a0This must be in accordance with the Constitution and the overriding considerations of public order and morality.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court held that it was permissible for the State to deny the use of the public media to an organisation which sought to overthrow the State by force and violence. \u00a0The court said that in this case there was an objective determination. However, the State could not curtail or prevent free expression of convictions and opinions on any irrational or capricious grounds.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Commercial_Communication\"><\/span>Commercial Communication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Radio and Television Act prohibited advertisements directed towards religious or political ends or in relation to a trade dispute. \u00a0The constitutionality of this provision was challenged by a plaintiff who sought to advertise a presentation of evidence regarding the resurrection of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge was unsuccessful, but the case shows that commercial communications are protected as well as political and personal comment. The guarantee protects individuals as well as person and businesses comprising the press and equivalent media.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proportionality\"><\/span>Proportionality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In considering whether freedom of expression might be limited, \u00a0the courts often rely on a \u00a0proportionality test. \u00a0A number of cases \u00a0involved orders restraining coverage of legal proceedings for particular reasons. \u00a0The courts have emphasised the strong presumption that the Press \u00a0may report on legal proceedings. However, a blanket ban was found to go too far in restricting this freedom.<\/p>\n<p>The courts have emphasised the requirement for proportionality in the context of a restraining order on reports. \u00a0The order should be designed to restrict publication of material which would cause serious prejudice and a \u00a0real risk of an unfair trial.<\/p>\n<p>The order should so in a manner \u00a0which interferes as little as possible the entitlement to report fully on all aspects of the administration of justice and should do so in a way which is proportionate.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prior_Restraints\"><\/span>Prior Restraints<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Irish courts\u00a0 have been reluctant to grant orders restraining the publication of material \u00a0simply because it is alleged to be private or disputed in some way.\u00a0 An interlocutory injunction may be granted to restrain publication of a defamatory article in an appropriate case.<\/p>\n<p>However, the courts are reluctant to grant such an injunction in advance. A prior restraint must be clearly authorised by law. The media is free to presumptively free to publish material.<\/p>\n<p>The right of freedom of expression applies to trivial prurient and worthless works as well as to serious and valuable work.\u00a0 The freedom covers the right to publish unpopular matters or matters which many or even the majority regard as reprehensible.<\/p>\n<p>The law of defamation strikes a balance between freedom of expression and the right of a citizen to his good name. The courts have reviewed the principles of defamation law in relation to privilege in the context of the balance set out in Article 40.6 and in the European Convention on Human Rights.<\/p>\n<p>In the above mentioned case with reference to religious-based advertisements \u00a0impaired the Constitutional rights as little as possible and as proportional to its object.<\/p>\n<p>The prohibition was on advertisements related to it a matter \u00a0which are divisive in society.\u00a0 The court took the view that the legislature was entitled to take the view that public advertisements of these kind could be unfairly exploited.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Blasphemy\"><\/span>Blasphemy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Article 40.6 provides that the publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious or indecent matter is an offence which must be punishable by law.<\/p>\n<p>In the absence of a definition of blasphemy in legislation the courts were unwilling to define what the offence of blasphemy consists of.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-22094\" data-postid=\"22094\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-22094 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Freedom of Expression The Constitution protects freedom of expression, assembly and association. \u00a0Each is subject to considerations of public order and morality. The right to express opinions and convictions is a right to communicate facts and the \u00a0right to comment on them. Freedom of expression includes the right to make and express political opinions and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22094"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22094"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22161,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22094\/revisions\/22161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}