Censorship in the United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom censorship has been applied to various forms of expression such as the media, cinema, entertainment venues, literature, theatre and criticism of the monarchy. While there is no general right to free speech in the UK,[1] British citizens have a negative right to freedom of expression under the common law,[2] and since 1998, freedom of expression is guaranteed according to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as applied in British law through the Human Rights Act.[3]

Current law allows for restrictions on threatening or abusive words or behaviour intending or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or cause a breach of the peace,[4][5][6] sending another any article which is indecent or grossly offensive with an intent to cause distress or anxiety,[7][8][9] incitement,[10] incitement to racial hatred,[11] incitement to religious hatred, incitement to terrorism including encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications,[10][12][13] glorifying terrorism,[14][15] collection or possession of a document or record containing information likely to be of use to a terrorist,[16][17] treason,[18][19][20][21][22] sedition,[19] obscenity,[23] indecency including corruption of public morals and outraging public decency,[24] defamation,[25] prior restraint, restrictions on court reporting (including names of victims and evidence and prejudicing or interfering with court proceedings,[26][27] prohibition of post-trial interviews with jurors),[27] time, manner, and place restrictions,[28] harassment, privileged communications, trade secrets, classified material, copyright, patents, military conduct, and limitations on commercial speech such as advertising.

As of 2022, the United Kingdom is ranked 35th on the Press Freedom Index.

  1. ^ Barendt, Eric. "Freedom of Expression in the United Kingdom Under the Human Rights Act 1998". Digital Repository At the Maurer School of Law, University of Indiana. Indiana Law Journal. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  2. ^ Klug, Francesca (1996). Starmer, Keir; Weir, Stuart (eds.). The Three Pillars of Liberty: Political Rights and Freedoms in the United Kingdom. The Democratic Audit of the United Kingdom. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-041509642-3.
  3. ^ Deshmukh, Sacha (22 June 2022). "A British bill of rights? This draconian plan is a rights removal bill". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  4. ^ Hensley, Thomas R. (2001). The Boundaries of Freedom of Expression & Order in American Democracy. Kent State University Press. p. 153. ISBN 9780873386920.
  5. ^ Klug 1996, pp. 175–179
  6. ^ Public Order Act 1986
  7. ^ Quinn, Ben (11 November 2012). "Kent man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet". The Guardian.
  8. ^ Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988
  9. ^ Cockerton, Paul (25 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: Man held in malicious Facebook comments probe after soldier murder". Mirror Online.
  10. ^ a b Joint Committee on Human Rights, Parliament of the United Kingdom (2005). Counter-Terrorism Policy And Human Rights: Terrorism Bill and related matters: Oral and Written Evidence. Vol. 2. The Stationery Office. p. 114. ISBN 9780104007662.
  11. ^ Sadurski, Wojciech (2001). Freedom of Speech and Its Limits. Law and Philosophy Library. Vol. 38. p. 179. ISBN 9781402002816.
  12. ^ Conte, Alex (2010). Human Rights in the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism. Springer. p. 643. ISBN 9783642116087.
  13. ^ Terrorism Act 2006
  14. ^ Crook, Tim (2010). Comparative Media Law and Ethics. Taylor & Francis. p. 397. ISBN 9780203865965.
  15. ^ Joint Committee 2005, p. 116
  16. ^ "Blogger who encouraged murder of MPs jailed". BBC News. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  17. ^ Possession of Inspire has been successfully prosecuted under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. "Online extremist sentenced to 12 years for soliciting murder of MPs" (Press release). West Midlands Police. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2011. In addition, Ahmad admitted three counts of collecting information likely to be of use to a terrorist, including the al-Qaeda publication Inspire. This is the first successful prosecution for possessing the online jihadist magazine.
  18. ^ Treason Felony Act 1848
  19. ^ a b Klug 1996, p. 177
  20. ^ Lemon, Rebecca (2008). Treason by Words: Literature, Law, and Rebellion in Shakespeare's England. Cornell University Press. pp. 5–10. ISBN 9780801474491.
  21. ^ Emmerson, Ben; Ashworth, Andrew; Macdonald, Alison (2012). Human Rights and Criminal Justice (3rd ed.). Sweet & Maxwell. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-847-03911-8.
  22. ^ Dyer, Clare (27 June 2003). "Guardian vindicated in treason case". The Guardian. Advocating the abolition of the monarchy in print is lawful and no one can be prosecuted for it, despite a 19th-century act still on the statute book that bans it…
  23. ^ Klug 1996, p. 172
  24. ^ Klug 1996, p. 173
  25. ^ Klug 1996, pp. 169–170
  26. ^ Klug 1996, pp. 156–160
  27. ^ a b Helsinki Watch; Fund for Free Expression (1991). Restricted Subjects: Freedom of Expression in the United Kingdom. Human Rights Watch. p. 53. ISBN 9780300056242.
  28. ^ "Brown 'to change' protests laws". BBC News. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2010. A 2005 law created an 'exclusion zone' inside which all protests required police permission. ... The requirement for police permission was introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.