Freedom of Speech in the Western World: Comparison and Critique

(Hardback)

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The United States Bill of Rights was groundbreaking in providing constitutional recognition to freedom of speech. In the past century the Supreme Court has decided hundreds of cases concerning free speech, providing an established system of jurisprudence to analyze free speech cases. This book explains the development in the US case law and compares it to developments in similar jurisdictions such as Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and Europe. Anthony Gray critiques the jurisprudence of each nation studied, while noting some important similarities and differences in terms of how free speech is protected in the Western world, what causes these differences, what one system might learn from others, and whether convergence in approach can be expected.

Reviews

Anthony Gray's Freedom of Speech in the Western World undertakes the herculean task of providing a deeply grounded historical, theoretical, legal and cultural explanation of free speech protection and regulation across the common law world. The result is an important resource for those trying to understand the development of speech regulation across the countries studied in the book, and more broadly. Gray's critique of the different approaches to permissible regulation is a well-timed contribution to contemporary domestic and international debates about the future of that regulation.--Gabrielle Appleby, The University of New South Wales
It is now finally possible to have a comprehensive comparative analysis of the extent to which freedom of speech is protected in western democracies. Professor Anthony Gray's Freedom of Speech in the Western World is striking in its depth and breath. It superbly describes the relevant case law in regards to the extent to which freedom of speech is protected in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom/Europe and Australia.--Augusto Zimmermann, Sheridan College

Author Bio

Anthony Gray is professor of law at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.