Global Freedom of Expression

Regional & Country Specific Resources

Africa

African Human Rights Case Law Analyser: Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa

The Institute for Human Rights and Development is a non-governmental organization working to promote awareness of human rights in Africa and to improve the effectiveness of the African Human Rights system. Its unique Case Law Analyser provides access to major legal instruments in Africa. The site’s “Keywords” enables theme-based search of judicial decisions by African Human Rights bodies. Under “Documents” page, one can search documents by African human rights mechanisms, treaties, and their member states.

Pretoria University’s African Human Rights Law Database

The Center for Human Rights at Pretoria University manages the database, which provides information on human rights jurisprudence and other legal mechanisms.

Australia

Human Rights Law Center

Human Rights Law Centre’s legal database is a resource that provides information on Australian and international human rights jurisprudence. The Centre is a non-government and independent organization.

Brazil

INTERNETLAB

Internetlab is an independent research center that aims to foster academic debate around issues involving law and technology, especially internet policy. Our goal is to conduct interdisciplinary impactful research and promote dialogue among academics, professionals and policymakers. We follow an entrepreneurial nonprofit model, which embraces our pursuit of producing scholarly research in the manner and spirit of an academic think tank. As a nexus of expertise in technology, public policy and social sciences, our research agenda covers a wide range of topics, including privacy, freedom of speech, gender and technology.

Central Asia

The International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech “Adil soz”  (In Russian)

The International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech is a legal entity that monitors violations of free speech and conducts legal analysis of relevant national laws in Central Asia. “Adil-Soz” is based in Kazakhstan and has worked on the protection of freedom of expression since 1999. The organization’s website hosts a database of jurisprudence related to expression and speech in Kazakhstan. Its site also provides access to latest news on journalism, press freedom. The “Violations” page contains a survey of violations of the right to freedom of expression in Kazakhstan.

China

Supreme People’s Court Monitor

The Supreme People’s Court Monitor provides access to judicial interpretations, opinions, and decisions of China’s Supreme People’s Court and other main judicial bodies. The site also offers additional resources both in English and Chinese language on China’s judicial system and the functions of its Supreme Court.

Hong Kong Media

This website was established by Doreen Weisenhaus, Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong. It provides supplemental information to her in-depth research and analyses of key developments in media law, including local and international contexts. Her book, Hong Kong Media Law: A Guide for Journalists and Media Professionals, covers such areas as defamation, privacy, contempt of court, access to information, national security, copyright, obscenity and media regulation.

Europe

IRIS Merlin Database: Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory

The IRIS Merlin Database provides access to various information and documents on audiovisual industries in Europe, including film, broadcasting, and on-demand audiovisual services.  The database offers search of documents by topic, organization, and country in English, French, and German language.

Latin America

Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)

The mission of the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) is to contribute to the advancement of fundamental human rights in the Americas through the effective use of Inter-American system and international human rights law. The Center’s “Law and Jurisprudence,” located under “Tools,” provides full texts of all instruments of the Inter-American human rights system. It also contains all decisions made by the Inter-American Court and the Commission on Human Rights.

Guide for Judicial Operators on Agenda 2030 for sustainable development with emphasis on ODS 16 (in Spanish)

This publication presents the transformative vision of the world of Agenda 2030 and discusses its essential connection with the Judicial Systems. The Guide provides a special perspective on the content of ODS 16, which focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building responsible and effective institutions at all levels. Among the goals of SDG 16: the promotion of democratic rule of law and access to justice (16.3), combating corruption (16.5), building effective institutions (16.6) and access to information (16.10).

Luxembourg

A selection of Luxembourgish laws including English translations can already be accessed from the University of Luxembourg. Among them are the Law of 1991 on Electronic Media in its codified version of 2011, the amended Regulation on European works and works of independent producers and the amended Regulation on Advertising, Sponsorship, Teleshopping and Self-promotion as well as other relevant acts in the area of data protection. The collection also includes an English version of the consolidated Law on Freedom of Expression in the Media and the consolidated regulations on quotas and advertising, the latter of which have been prepared by the uni.lu team.

India

Centre for Communication Governance

The Centre for Communication Governance (CCG) is a part of National Law University, Delhi and is based on the university’s campus in Dwarka. CCG provides research and resources to the Indian educational establishment so that laws and policy can keep pace with technological advancement.

Middle East

Arab Media Law Project

The Arab Media Law Project aims to promote transparency and scholarship concerning communication laws in the Middle East. The Project currently provides access to Gulf countries’ constitutional provisions on the freedom of opinion and expression. The Project’s “Research” page offers academic research on media laws and free speech in the Arab world.

Puerto Rico

Derecho al Derecho (In Spanish)

Derecho al Derecho is a Puerto Rican discussion forum that attempts to transcend the legal profession and academia, and seeks to provide reflection and critical analysis of the Law and its institutions.

Center for Investigative Journalism (In Spanish)

The Center for Investigative Journalism serves as a resource to encourage and protect the right of access to information in Puerto Rico through investigative journalism and litigation.

Russia

Media Pravo  (In Russian)

Media-Pravo is the only database of Russian jurisprudence concerning the media and journalists. The database has existed since 2007 and includes almost 1,000 cases. In addition to cases, the database has a news section that highlights relevant and important developments in Russia on freedom of expression.

Turkey

Bianet  is an independent Turkish press agency based in Istanbul. It was established in 2000 by journalist Nadire Mater, former Representative of Reporters sans Frontières and activist Ertuğrul Kürkçü. Since 2003, it has been affiliated with Inter Press Service. It is mostly funded by the European Commission through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

Serbia

Serbian ICT Law Resource (In Serbian)

This site offers overviews of ICT related case law as well as analysis of ICT law topics including media law, online advertising, telecom law, data protection, e-commerce, and online gambling among many others.

South Africa

Musings on Media by Dario Milo

Dario Milo is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Practice at Webber Wentzel, where he leads a team that focuses on media, communications and information law, and commercial and tax dispute resolution. His blog offers insights and analysis on current issues in South Africa media law.

Thailand

Freedom of Expression Documentation Center

The Freedom of Expression Documentation Center collects and analyzes violations of the right to freedom of expression in Thailand. The Center’s site provides access to its legal articles and reports on recent developments, such as legislative enactments affecting the right to free speech.

United States

CourtListener

The Free Law Project, famous for its RECAP browser extension for PACER users, has now scraped all the federal court opinions available for free on PACER, and put them in a free database with a fairly powerful search engine (https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/) New opinions will be downloaded every night to keep the collection up to date.