Speech at Australian universities is restricted in various ways. A few of them, such as student protests against visiting speakers, receive lots of attention. Others seldom do, such as defamation threats and cyber harassment. Self-censorship may be more significant than overt censorship. Those who want to raise awareness of hidden limitations on…

M. Alison Kibler is Professor of American Studies and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies at Franklin and Marshall College. She has taught "Rights and Representations", a seminar for first year students, focusing on the tension between free speech and equality in American law and politics, for fifteen years. In this article, Kibler…

This article explores some of the legal and law-related challenges educators face in designing, implementing, and sustaining globally networked learning environments (GNLEs) in the context of conflicting international laws on intellectual property and censorship/free speech. By discussing cases and areas involving such legal issues, the article…

The first of two articles relating to press law, examines recent rulings by the Supreme Court which make it virtually impossible to bring libel action against journalists. (RB)

Discusses censorship issues, such as the "decency clause," that affect both commercial and collegiate theater. Examines how the subject has been weighed and viewed by courts from a number of perspectives. (SR)

This discussion summarizes the general principles that may be applied in determining the limits of free expression and proposes new criteria based on libertarian values. Among the general principles summarized are the bad-tendency test, the clear-and-present-danger test, the balancing test, the incitement test, and the hypothetical absolute test.…

This selective bibliography on censorship and the nature of obscenity lists 19 lower and Supreme Court decisions (1727-1967) and 21 articles published in law reviews from 1938 through 1967. The Judges' opinions in the court cases are quoted to suggest the direction in which the courts are moving in regard to the interpretation of obscenity. (SW)

Discusses the attempt by Boston editors to define press rights and examines legal constraints on press freedom. (KS)

Because the Supreme Court has put severe limits on the use of the concepts of national security and protection of women to justify censorship, the predominant strategy has become censorship to protect minors. This article examines the legal concepts of obscenity and material harmful to minors, restrictions on broadcasting, and challenges raised by…

Reports on the progress of a freedom-of-speech case involving the publication of an article on students' sexual behavior in Hayfield, Virginia, high school's "The Farm News." (KS)

There are no easy answers in the area of the right of free speech. The academic rights of teachers cannot be affirmed without also recognizing the rights of parents and the responsibilities of administrators. The First Amendment represents a national commitment to risk on the side of freedom. (Author/JN)

Removal of school library books is again an issue in the courts. In a 1993 Kansas City case involving the superintendent's removal of "Annie on My Mind" from several school libraries, the federal court found that school officials' motivation violated the First Amendment. Administrators must resist the temptation to quell controversy by…

A collection of 12 articles, this yearbook focuses on freedom of speech and censorship. The topics covered include (1) common law tort and contract erosion of the at will rule, (2) the Supreme Court and the First Amendment in 1983-1984, (3) a phenomenological analysis of the First Amendment and the issue of obscenity, (4) John Milton's attack on…