The Meaning and Significance of the Freedom of Expression

• Author: Gita Honwana Welch
• Pages: 79-83

THE

HEARING

AND

SIGNIFICANCE

OFTUEFREEDOH

OF

EXPRESSION

BY

GITA

HONWANA

WELCH

reedom

of

expression

is

collectively recognized

by

civil society

as

part

of

the

democratic process inasmuch

as it

encourages

a

critical view

of

governments

and the way in

which

the

state manages society.

It is

therefore

classified

as a

political right.

Transposed

to the

individual, freedom

of

expression could easily

be

defined

as the

latitude

to

express

one's

feelings,

views, cultural

and

reli-

gious

beliefs,

and

sexual inclinations without undue limitation. But, what

is

"undue

limitation"?

Who

defines

it? How is it

defined?

Undue

for

whom?

Leaving

aside questions that generally belong

to the

philosophical

sphere,

it is

important

to

understand that there must

be a due

"limitation"

—

whether self-imposed

or

legally established

—

that will reasonably

define

the

personal scope

of the

exercise

of the

right, rather than curtail

the

individual entitlement

to it.

Freedom

of

expression

is

also viewed

as an

important

aspect

of

multi-partyism

and

parliamentary democracy because

it

allows

for the

expression

of

political

opposition

and

criticism

at the

individual

or

col-

lective level.

79

A.

SEVERAL

MEANINGS

OF

FREEDOM

OF

EXPRESSION

F