Academic Freedom of Expression under Article 10 ECHR: Towards a Functional-Epistemic Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46282/syeul.2026.4.1473Keywords:
Academic freedom of expression, Article 10 ECHR, enhanced protection, digital public sphereAbstract
The article examines academic freedom of expression under Article 10 ECHR in the context of the contemporary digital public sphere. Although the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly recognised the importance of academic speech within democratic society, its jurisprudence lacks a coherent framework capable of identifying when expression qualifies as “academic” and why it may warrant enhanced protection. The article argues that academic freedom of expression should be understood as a context-sensitive reinforcement of freedom of expression grounded in the epistemic function of academic activity. Combining reconstructive doctrinal analysis with normative conceptual inquiry, it develops a functional-epistemic framework structured around three dimensions: epistemic standing, truth-seeking orientation, and methodological grounding. Ultimately, the article proposes a more coherent approach to identifying the scope and limits of academic expression under Article 10 ECHR within the contemporary digital public sphere.
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