Abstract

Issues in Chapter 11 include conscientious objection to military conscription. Britain recognised as a ground freedom of _conscience_, the U.S.A. only of _religion_. The force of appeal to conscience is provided by the original meaning of the term as a belief about what would put one in the _wrong_. We hesitate unnecessarily to force people to act like that. Freedom of _speech_ is strongly protected by the U.S. constitution, which counteracts stagnation and authoritarianism. But Indian legislation prefers to limit religious hate speech, to protect religious freedom. A compromise is included to avoid witch hunts for blasphemy. Indian civil law also protects freedom of religion by allowing different personal laws for different religions, on polygamy for example, but has also had to address the danger of protecting religious practices unfair to some members. There is no one balance of freedoms right for all, and all balances require effective implementation.