ABSTRACT
The history of free speech dates back to ancient Greece and civilizations established there between 800 and 400 BC. The city-state of Athens, Greece, pioneered the idea of freedom of expression, but it was inconsistently applied as many prominent philosophers of the time, including Socrates, were tried and executed for promoting ideas inconsistent with those of the government. On an international scale, free speech was an important part of the newly formed United Nations "Universal Declaration of Human Rights", (UDHR) enacted in 1948. Eleanor Roosevelt, the first lady of the United States, was influential in the development of the document. In other countries, free speech is assumed as a right without being specified by law. In Australia and England, for example, freedom of expression is not mentioned in government documents, but courts typically recognize it as an important part of representative democracy.
