Freedom of expression and its limits are the focus of discussion of the XXIV workshop of classroom of Parliamentary Law.

Freedom of expression, populism, the presumption of innocence, pseudo-media and fake news, the risks of democracy, etc., have focused the discussion and reflection in the Parliament of Navarra on the occasion of the XXIV workshop of the classroom of Parliamentary Law. The activity, organized by the University in partnership with the Parliament of Navarra, is part of the partnership agreement signed between both institutions.

The President of the Parliament of Navarra, Unai Hualde, has been in charge of opening the forum "Parliament and freedom of expression: problematic issues and a look from the constitutional jurisprudence". Hualde thanked all the attendees for their presence and highlighted the opportunity for an institution such as the Parliament to host a workshop dedicated to freedom of expression: "It is good to analyze how the Parliament, as an institution that represents the citizens, ensures that freedom of expression is guaranteed and respected, but, at the same time, to study whether there are limits, which ones and where is the line whose transgression cannot be justified. A matter of interest for any person and democrat", he said.

Hualde added that the conciliation between the contrast of different opinions and not going beyond certain limits has been present in the current activity of the Foral Parliament. He has referred to the new rules of procedure of the Chamber and the forthcoming approval of a code of conduct. "Transmitting democratic values such as Education, courtesy... as representatives of the citizens is one of the issues under discussion", he stressed. He has also warned of other issues that affect us today such as fake news, hate speech and certain excesses, insults and expressions that may incite violence or discrimination, which exceed the limits of freedom of expression and justify the need for conference for reflection and discussion.  

Constructive dialogue for the advancement of society

Mercedes Galán, dean of the University's Law Department,School , then spoke, thanking the Regional Parliament for its partnership for organizing these conference, which allow research and contribute to a high-level knowledge dissemination from the university and the institutions. "Students must learn to understand the importance of respect for ideas and opinions, in the exercise of freedom of expression, which also has its limits. From academia and institutions we must contribute especially to a constructive dialogue to advance society in the common good and consideration for all people."

In the same vein, the director of classroom of Parliamentary Law and professor at the University, Asunción de la Iglesia, has valued "the need to generate places of meeting where to share knowledge and different points of view". Asunción de la Iglesia thanked the attendance of professors from national and international universities in this workshop that has as goal to address the concept of freedom of expression from different approaches. The event has been attended by constitutional and Procedural Law experts such as: Ángel Rivero Rodríguez and Patricia Rodríguez-patron saint (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Fracesco Biagi (University of Bologna), María Isabel Álvarez Vélez and Federico de Montalvo (ICADE), Cecilia Mora Donatto (UNAM Mexico), Orlando Triguero Ortiz (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), Jesús María González García (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Enrique Fliquete Liso (Universidad de Valencia) and Cecilia Rosado Villaverde (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos).

Among other topics, the relationship between freedom of expression and populism; the limits of freedom of expression, the decline of democracies, the recovery of the parliamentary institution and the role of the parliamentarian, codes of conduct in parliamentary sessions; the committees of research and the right to the presumption of innocence; or freedom of expression and parliamentary prerogatives in the light of the doctrine of the Constitutional Court.

The object of this workshop has counted with the partnership of project of research promoted by the University of Navarra and the Autonomous University of Madrid on Constitutional Justice, financed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.