REGULATION OF FREE SPEECH IN THE DIGITAL ERA: THE RULE OF LAW, NATURAL LAW AND THE MORALITY OF LAW
As new technology continues to expand, states across the world are grappling with the need to regulate different aspects of the technological realm. Recently, there has been a proliferation of new technology regulations restricting freedom of speech. There is an undeniable distinction between the rule of law and the rule by law. Directing government power through statutory law requires adherence to specific formal characteristics of lawful regulations. The rule of law, however, is not satisfied by technical and formal requirements only. While demanding these requirements, an exercise of legitimate government power furthermore requires that the law be substantively just. This means the law must be rational, align with the natural law, possess the morality of law, and inherently respect fundamental human rights. In terms of the doctrine of natural law, it is the principal duty of the State to protect and improve the fundamental human rights of its citizens. The government acts contrary to its natural purpose, the function for which it exists, if it enacts irrational, unjust laws that violate fundamental human rights. A government’s contempt for basic human rights is a convincing indicator of the lack of the rule of law in that nation.
Keywords: new technology regulations, freedom of expression, rule of law, natural law, morality of law.
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