Jailings for racism on Twitter? Britain's forgotton fight for free speech

by Jacob Mchangama
The Commentator
March 30, 2012

https://www.legal-project.org/2390/jailings-for-racism-on-twitter-britain-forgotton

Excerpt:

In 1742, David Hume could write, "Nothing is more apt to surprise a foreigner, than the extreme liberty, which we enjoy in this country, of communicating whatever we please to the public, and of openly censuring every measure, entered into by the king or his ministers."

Hume may have overstated his case somewhat, as prosecutions for blasphemous libel did take place at the time. But compared to just about anywhere else in Europe, Britons enjoyed unprecedented freedom of speech in the 18^th century.

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