THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: A PANORAMA OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS CASE LAW / A PROTEÇÃO DO DIREITO À LIBERDADE DE EXPRESSÃO: UM PANORAMA DA JURISPRUDÊNCIA DA CORTE INTERAMERICANA DE DIREITOS HUMANOS

Abstract

The Inter-American system for the protection of human rights recognizes the importance of freedom of expression for democratic systems. The analysis of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) case law shows that it is probably the regional framework that provides the greatest scope and the broadest guarantees of protection to the right to freedom of thought and expression. Based on American Convention on Human Rights and on other relevant legislative instruments and, above all, in light of their prevailing interpretation by the aforementioned Court, this brief analysis is intended to clarify, with some comparative insights, the main features and the peculiarities of the regional system protection of the right to freedom of expression. In particular, it will consider the types of speech deserving special protection due to their importance for the exercise of other human rights or for the maintenance and the strengthening of democracy and, by contrast, the conditions according to which restrictions to freedom of expression are admitted by the Inter-American system.

Keywords: Freedom of expression. Press freedom. Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Case-law. Protected speech. Balacing human rights. National security.