Issue 3 (13) 2011

FREEDOM OF DISCUSSION IN EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT RULING

FREEDOM OF DISCUSSION IN EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT RULING

A.B. Ektumaev

Perm State National research University.
15, Bukirev st., Perm, 614990
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This paper is devoted to the analyses of the European Court in Human Rights practice. The subject to be analyzed is the European Court in Human Rights practice in viewing the affairs by the 1st part of the article 10 of the Convention on the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms published on the 4th of November 1950 which sets the general points of the freedom of speech. Out of the European Court’s explanations it follows that the content of the 1st part of the article 10 is extended so that it guarantees the freedom of communication. This paper deals with the European Court’s legal attitudes considered the most important to illustrate this point. The paper gives the detailed appraisal to the European Court’s legal attitude according to which the 1st part of the article 10 of the Convention defends not only the informational content but also the way of its expression and the form of its spreading. The named legal attitude of the European Court means that the 1st part of the article 10 guarantees the freedom to select the form of message and the freedom to select the communication channels and the corresponding signal for its spreading. In other words, the 1st part of the article 10 supposes a human has the right to present the same piece of information verbally or non-verbally, in writing, with the help of visual or audible images. The greatest interest is found in the principle that the article 10 guarantees are also extended to persons who do not initiate messages nor create products. The European Court’s legal attitude is that the article 10 guarantees the freedom of opinion to any person and does not make difference on the basis of aims or roles played by natural or juridical persons in realizing this freedom. Another significant conclusion in the European Court’s practice analysis is that in the European Court’s explanations the article 10 guarantees the universal right to receive all the messages that are spread. The crucial in this context are the following European Court’s attitudes. On viewing a number of affairs the European Court concluded that the article 10 forbids the government to make obstacles or keep a person out of getting information from other persons who wish or may wish to spread it to him/her.

Keywords: freedom of discussion; guarantee; European Human Rights Court; Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

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