By Osego Molose
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states that: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Freedom of speech and expression, therefore, may not be recognized as being absolute, and common limitations or boundaries to freedom of speech relate to libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition, copywriting violation or trade secrets.
Freedom of speech is basically the liberty to speak and otherwise express one’s ideas without fear of victimisation or decimation of character by the government.
Just like the freedom of press, the freedom of speech has never been absolute in our country. The law also protects your freedom to receive information from other people by, for example, reading a magazine or being part of an audience.
Although you have freedom of speech, you also have a duty to behave responsibly and to respect each other people’s rights.
