On the Law of Speaking Freely

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents On the Law of Speaking Freely written and read by Adam Tomkins.

This book tackles the most pressing problems of contemporary free speech law by examining where the idea of free expression came from in the first place, applying the lessons of the past to address the challenges of the present.

Free speech cannot be taken for granted – it needs to be fought for. But its champions will be successful only if they understand what they are defending. For free speech is a deceptively simple principle.

How should it guide us on the bounds of what is acceptable to say? Should we be free to preach hatred, or to spread fear or fake news? Can media freedom be balanced against the right to privacy? How does free speech work online? Can the internet be made a safe space without compromising freedom of expression?

On the Law of Speaking Freely offers not just insights but answers to these and other such vital questions by roaming widely over the law of free speech, from English common law to the European Convention on Human Rights via the US First Amendment.

In rescuing free speech from the culture wars in which it has become embroiled, Adam Tomkins restates its values, its complexities and its enduring importance, in prose that is as passionate as it is clear-sighted. Even-handed, informed and authoritative, this is a major, timely work from one of the UK’s leading constitutional scholars.

Critics Review

Much more than a law book. It is an elegant account of the history of free speech, not just as a legal concept but as a cultural and political idea … It deserves a much wider readership than just lawyers.
The Spectator
This is a brilliant book that describes the history of restrictions on expression by voice, later by written word and now by electronic means.
Law Society Gazette
[A] valuable account of the emergence of and global arguments around free expression.
Law and Liberty
This book displays an admirably succinct mastery of its inherently controversial subject matter and, without losing balance, a tightly reasoned commitment to the protection of free speech.
New Law Journal
This book should appeal to all level-headed free speech enthusiasts, not only for the judicious and pragmatic line that Tomkins has taken in dealing with many of the knotty issues encountered in this area of law and policy, but also for his explicit recognition that self-regulation has as much a role to play in combating many ills such as disinformation and fake news as hard law.
The Commonwealth Lawyer

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