ABSTRACT
In 2008, the House of Lords found unanimously that the total ban was compatible with Article 10 as the ban reinforced the democratic process by securing a more level field for political contestation. Baroness Hale stressed the need to avoid the sort of slanting of the political process arising from unwarranted political broadcast advocacy by wealthy segments in society. The High Court of Australia overturned a UK-like legislated ban on paid political broadcast advertising, after the court discovered that a right to political free expression could, in 1992, be deduced from certain wording within the Australian Constitution. As the movement towards political reform within British Hong Kong began to gather some serious momentum by the early 1990s, many were persuaded by the broad but fundamental political idea that democracy was a no-risk default option for all jurisdictions looking to modernize their political structure. Social media continue to play a rapidly increasing role in shaping the way politics works today.
