FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE PRESS IN THE 1999 NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION: A REFLECTION

Abstract

The legal framework for the operation of the press as well as the freedom of expression remains a fundamental component for enhancing democratic values. Growth of the social media has impacted on mass communication and appears to have put a challenge on the traditional role of the press. Within the constitutional limits of the freedom of expression and the press, there exists ample protection of these rights to flourish in the democratic space. This paper examines the right to expression and the freedom of the press within the constitutional setting of present day Nigeria alluding to the various instances in which the requirements for the restriction of the right might become necessary due to public good. The paper recommends appreciation of the reasoning for the restrictions on the right as a necessary component of a democratic culture.