Part I State Obligations and Rights Protected, Ch.II Civil and Political Rights, Art.14: Right of Reply

Abstract

This chapter explains Article 14 of the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR), which protects the right to reply. It provides for the possibility for anyone who has been injured by inaccurate or offensive statements or even by ideas disseminated to reply or to make a correction by using the same medium. This article must be understood as counterbalancing the broad scope of protection of freedom of expression. It is also a means to compensate the prohibition of prior censorship. Thus, the right to reply is intrinsically related to the freedom of thought and expression, and in particular to the “respect of the rights and reputations of others” mentioned in Article 13-2 of the ACHR. It is also connected to the right of honor protected by Article 11 of the ACHR.