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During colonial times, English speech regulations were rather restrictive.The English criminal common law of seditious libel made criticizing the government a crime. Lord Chief Justice John Holt, writing in 1704–1705, explained the rationale for the prohibition: "For it is very necessary for all governments that the people should have a good opinion of it."
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. [17] Today, freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognised in international and regional human rights law.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees in theory many of the same rights and civil liberties as the U.S. except to bear arms, i.e.: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association and assembly, freedom to choose language, to due process, to a fair trial, privacy, freedom to vote, right for education, etc.
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion; prohibiting the free exercise of religion; or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, or the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
In its origin, the English word "freedom" relates etymologically to the word "friend". [2] Philosophy and religion sometimes associate it with free will, as an alternative to determinism or predestination. [3] In modern liberal nations, freedom is considered a right, especially freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.
The United Nations' Human Rights Committee states that this "distinguishes the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief from the freedom to manifest religion or belief. It does not permit any limitations whatsoever on the freedom of thought and conscience or on the freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of one's choice.
Some steps have been taken within the UN to make the right more explicit, with the Human Rights Council repeatedly affirming that Article 18 enshrines "the right of everyone to have conscientious objection to military service as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion". [126] [127]
For example, the Freedom in the World index lists the United States 53rd in the world for civil and political rights, with 83 out of 100 points as of 2023; [7] [8] the Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, put the U.S. 55th out of 180 countries in 2024, [9] the Democracy Index, published by the Economist Intelligence Unit ...