Freedom of artistic expression: a new book

Freedom of Artistic Expression: Essays on Culture and Legal Censure, by Paul Kearns, is a handsome and readable volume of thoughtful pieces published by Hart Publishing. The author is a Senior Lecturer in Law in the University of Manchester, where he teaches Public International Law, Human Rights Law and, as a specialist yet popular topic, Law, Literature and Art.

According to the book's website:

"This book presents a unique and comprehensive examination of the human and moral rights of artists. In what is arguably the first exhaustive book-length account of artists' rights, Paul Kearns explores the problems associated with censorship, both from philosophical and legal perspectives, and focuses on the various ways in which the morality of art is legally regulated in different jurisdictions. In relation to human rights, English, French and American law, the law of the European Convention on Human Rights, European Union law and public international law are all closely scrutinised to discover the extent to which they offer protection for artistic freedom. The author also examines domestic and international law in respect of artists' moral rights, the law of copyright and related laws. In short, the book provides an original, and sometimes controversial, analysis of persistent concerns regarding the legal regulation of the arts universally, doctrinally and theoretically, and seeks to offer an holistic treatment which will appeal to art lawyers, artists and those interested in the future of the arts".

This blogger was quite surprised at how much there remains to be said on the subject, even in the permissive era of the twenty-first century. This book will repay the reader's attention with its measured and well-informed approach to the topic.

The hardback version of this book (x + 249 pages) is already available (ISBN 9781841130804) at £50; Adobe and ebook versions are forthcoming at £36 each.