What Has Human Rights Law Done for the Media?

Abstract

When the Human Rights Act (HRA) came into force on 2 October 2000, there was cause for the media to celebrate. Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects the right to freedom of expression, had at last been given legal effect in United Kingdom. Ten years later media is concerned at the restriction imposed upon them by Article 8 of ECHR, the right to respect for private life. This chapter considers the framework of domestic human rights law which now supports, as well as interferes with, media activities. It then considers the advantages and disadvantages of human rights law for the media, in particular the right to freedom of expression. The chapter discusses the media's perceptions of the HRA and the right to freedom of expression, and offers conclusion concerning possible future directions for the law of human rights as it relates to the media. Keywords:European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR); freedom of expression; Human Rights Act (HRA); human rights law; media; private life; United Kingdom