Undergraduate Course: International Protection of Freedom of Expression (LAWS10302)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course will focus on how freedom of expression is protected at the regional and international level, comparing legal frameworks such as the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and other regional examples in a comparative perspective. Particular attention will be paid to restrictions existing in digital environments e.g. online platforms, and the democratic role of journalism. |
| Course description |
This course examines how freedom of expression and media freedom are protected at the international level through the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and at the regional level through a comparative analysis of different human rights treaties. Particular attention will be paid to how societal and political contexts influence the form and level of protection granted to journalists, and how digital platforms strengthen or weaken protections for individual speakers. The second part of the course focuses on whether and how freedom of expression may be lawfully restricted, and its interplay with harmful forms of expression such as defamation, hate speech and disinformation. Specific emphasis will be placed on developing individual advocacy skills through active class discussion and end-of-course presentations. Please note that this course cannot be taken by any students who have also studied, or intend to study the 40 credit variant: Freedom of Expression Law Clinic LAWS10190.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Spaces on this course are allocated as part of the Law Honours Course Allocation process. Places are generally only available to students who must take Law courses. To request a space on this course, please email Law.courseselection@ed.ac.uk |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This course is only open to visiting students coming through a direct exchange with the School of Law (including Erasmus students on a Law-specific Exchange). Exchange students outside of Law and independent study abroad students are not eligible to enrol in this course, with no exceptions.
**Please note that Honours Law courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.**
Priority will be given to students studying on exchange within the Law department, and it is highly unlikely that there will be additional spaces for general exchange students & independent study abroad students to enrol; we will look into this on a case-by-case basis in September/January. Visiting students are advised to bear in mind that enrolment in specific courses can never be guaranteed, and you may need to be flexible in finding alternatives in case your preferred courses have no available space. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
50 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
50% written case note
50% in-class oral presentation |
| Feedback |
Students will have the opportunity to undertake a formative assessment at the end of week 3 and receive feedback. Completion of the formative assessment is voluntary; feedback will provided within 15 working days from submission. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate analytical, in-depth knowledge of the following legal provisions and their relevant case law: Article 19 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Article 10 European Convention on Human Rights; Article 9 African Charter on Human and Peoples¿ Rights; Article 13 American Convention on Human Rights; regulation of journalistic professionalism (journalistic privileges/duties, ¿shield laws¿) and legal challenges posed by the rise of ¿citizen journalism¿ (comparative perspective); legal limitations on free speech (e.g. privacy rights, hate speech); theories of freedom of expression (comparative perspective).
- Contextualise the above provisions and principles against different societal contexts, distinguishing between institutional and individual speakers, and analysing the impact of digital technologies.
- Understand how regional courts approach these matters, the different tests they employ, and the main differences characterising each legal system.
- Critically discuss how freedom of expression is balanced against competing interests such as national security and individual rights (e.g. privacy).
- Demonstrate the development of advocacy skills in respect of freedom of expression litigation.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking and reflection, particularly in respect of regional and local approaches to freedom of expression and their societal drivers, and the role of digital technologies in enabling or restricting such freedom.
Curiosity, particularly regarding how the principles discussed in the course apply to the digital environment that serves as a platform for much of the interpersonal communication and media content students consume daily. |
| Keywords | Freedom of expression; Human rights; Media; Digital platforms; Advocacy. |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Paolo Cavaliere
Tel: (0131 6)51 5137
Email: Paolo.Cavaliere@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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