Two Historic Legal Landmarks in Latin America

Press freedom forces around the world are welcoming two historic decisions, one in Brazil and another in Mexico, which could have profound repercussions in the entire region.

Brazil's Supreme Court has abolished a regulation that forces any one wishing to practice journalism to hold a university degree, an arbitrary requirement that has been repeatedly rejected by the inter-American justice system.

The Brazilian magistrates ruled the regulation to be unconstitutional and "a direct interference in freedom of expression."

On the other hand, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled that a state law that specifically protected public officials from public scrutiny, especially that of the press, also to be unconstitutional.

The statute was an insult law from the state of Guanajuato that was used to sentence a newspaper editor to three years in prison for libeling a former mayor.

The magistrates agreed with the opinions and jurisprudence of the inter-American justice system and ruled that "the rights to reputation and privacy of public officials are in general less extensive and enduring when freedom of expression is involved, due to the importance of the capability that the news media and public opinion in general need to exhaustively scrutinize the activities of government employees and officials."

This extraordinary double whammy of good news for press freedom in Latin America is most welcomed by this page and press freedom fighters around the world.