From: JNugent73@mail.com 
  
 On 29/08/2025 12:48 PM, billy bookcase wrote: 
 > "JNugent"  wrote in message news:mhdcqtF4h 
 rU1@mid.individual.net... 
 >> On 28/08/2025 02:30 PM, billy bookcase wrote: 
 >>> "JNugent"  wrote in message 
 >>> news:mh843pF7u7bU1@mid.individual.net... 
 >>>> On 26/08/2025 19:01, billy bookcase wrote: 
 >>>>> "JNugent"  wrote in message 
 >>>>> news:mh0cg6Ft44aU2@mid.individual.net... 
 >>>>>> 
 >>>>>> When did it become a crime (in [England] and Wales, if not the 
 >>>>>> whole UK) to express one's opinion? 
 >>>>>> 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> How would any date after 1066, suit ? 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> quote: 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> Defamatory libel was originally an offence under the common law of 
 >>>>> England. It was established in England and Wales and in Northern 
 Ireland. 
 >>>>> It was or is a form of criminal libel, a term with which it is 
 >>>>> synonymous.[1] 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> The common law offence of defamatory libel was abolished[2] for England 
 >>>>> and Wales and Northern Ireland on 12 January 2010. 
 >>>>> Section 4 of the Libel Act 1843 which created an aggravated statutory 
 >>>>> offence was also repealed. 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> :unquote 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamatory_libel 
 >>>>> 
 >>>>> One famous case being of course, Goldsmith v Pressdram Ltd [1977] 
 >>>> 
 >>>> You are aware that it is a defence against an action to publish one's 
 honestly-held 
 >>>> opinion, laws on defamation notwithstanding? 
 >>> 
 >>> It is only a defence, if that opinion is based on fact(s), such that any 
 honest 
 >>> person might form a similar opinion, based on those same fact(s) 
 >>> 
 >>> Otherwise it would fail. 
 >> 
 >> That's OK then. 
 > 
 > You asked (and for the umpteenth time, it would appear) 
 > 
 > "When did it become a crime (in [England] and Wales, if not the 
 > whole UK) to express one's opinion?" 
 > 
 > And I gave you the answer. At any time after 1066. 
  
 That is not an answer to the question I asked. 
  
 You are confusing yourself as between libel / defamation and hoenset 
 exporession of an honestly-held opinion - or, indeed, any opinion. 
  
 So I'll slightly rephrase my question. 
  
 Is it illegal to express an opinion (an *opinion*, mind)? 
  
 If so, which enactment made it illegal, and when? 
  
 [suipped many paragraphs of irrelevant material] 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)