In countries which have bills of rights there is a basic
statement of freedoms subject to permitted abridgment of
such freedoms. Freedoms are restricted in the public
interest on grounds of national security, to preserve public
order, to protect public health, to maintain moral
standards, to secure due recognition and respect for the
rights and freedoms of others or to meet the just
requirements of the general welfare of a democratic society.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution includes five freedoms or rights including: religious exercise, speech, press, peaceable assembly and petitioning the government for redress of grievances. These freedoms are not absolute because doing so might threaten the public interest.Federal and state laws, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions, have all placed limitations on First Amendment freedoms in order to protect the public interest. Properly balancing individual freedoms with the public interest promotes a stable society.
