The Golden Age of Free Speech

From Adam Liptak:

It has been more than a quarter-century since the Supreme Court placed a category of speech outside the protection of the First Amendment. Tuesday’s resounding and lopsided rejection of a request that it do so, along with its decision in Citizens United in January — concluding that corporations may spend freely in candidate elections — suggest that the Roberts Court is prepared to adopt a robustly libertarian view of the constitutional protection of free speech.

And in the next couple of months, the court is set to decide several other important First Amendment cases about anonymous speech, the right of free association and a federal law that limits speech supporting terrorist organizations.

While I am sure neither right nor left agree with all the speakers involved in these cases, it is interesting to see the breadth of free speech protection secured by the Roberts' Court. This is especially noteworthy at a time when countries around the world are actively engaged in stifling free speech.

Related: Artistic Expression v. The Nanny State

Both stories courtesy of Hit & Run