Article 10 of the European Convention guarantees freedom of expression. The Article states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary. The European Court emphasized the right of freedom of speech and expression in the following words: “the freedom of expression constitutes one of the essential foundations of a democratic society, one of the basic conditions for its progress and for the development of every man”. It is pertinent to mention that the provision of Article 10 is not only limited to expression but also refers to the right to receive information.
