The Swedish Freedom of Press Act has for a long time been a source of pride in the Nordic nation. Especially this year as it was awarded a UNESCO Memory of the World status. Championed by the Lutheran priest and member of parliament, Anders Chydenius (often referred to as the Adam Smith of the North as also he pioneered economic liberalism), in 1766 it is the world’s first law supporting both the freedom of press and freedom of expression.
When the act was passed it stopped state censorship and introduced the principle of public access to official records in Sweden, even if defamatory remarks of the king and the Swedish Church was still criminalized. Chydenius described freedom of expression as “the most precious possession of a free country.” Put differently: “The apple of the country’s eye.”
