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Freedom of press and speech; libels - Constitution Of Pennsylvania § 7

Legal Research Home > Pennsylvania Lawyer > Constitution of Pennsylvania > Freedom of press and speech; libels - Constitution Of Pennsylvania § 7

     § 7.  Freedom of press and speech; libels.
        The printing press shall be free to every person who may
     undertake to examine the proceedings of the Legislature or any
     branch of government, and no law shall ever be made to restrain
     the right thereof. The free communication of thoughts and
     opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man, and every
     citizen may freely speak, write and print on any subject, being
     responsible for the abuse of that liberty. No conviction shall
     be had in any prosecution for the publication of papers relating
     to the official conduct of officers or men in public capacity,
     or to any other matter proper for public investigation or
     information, where the fact that such publication was not
     maliciously or negligently made shall be established to the
     satisfaction of the jury; and in all indictments for libels the
     jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts,
     under the direction of the court, as in other cases.

        Constitutionality.  The provisions of section 7 relating to
     criminal libel were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme
     Court of Pennsylvania in Commonwealth v. Armao, 446 Pa. 325, 286
     A.2d 626 (1972).

Last modified: November 27, 2007