Greece: Press Freedom and Defamation Laws in a Time of Crisis: An Introduction to Law and Practice

The present Greek Constitution, promulgated in 1975,1 just after the restoration of democracy in the country (a period known as Metapolitefsi), contains strong proclamations of freedom of speech. In line with the German constitutional tradition and the 1905 Bonn Constitution, Art. 14, par. 1 of the Greek Constitution provides that “[e]very person may express and propagate his thoughts orally, in writing and through the press”. Art. 16 impressively proclaims the unqualified freedom of research and of the arts and sciences. Prior censorship and other preventative measures are prohibited, as is the seizure of newspapers either pre- or post-publication.