Do You Have a Heckler's Veto Right?

Some of the most high-profile instances of heckler's veto in recent years have involved controversial speakers on college campuses. What is heckler's veto, and why does it fall outside the sphere of constitutionally protected speech? First Amendment scholar Nadine Strossen explains the historical and constitutional origins of the doctrine and why exercising heckler's veto (even against offensive or hateful speech) would contravene free speech principles.

 

  Nadine Strossen is a professor at New York Law School and a former longtime president of the ACLU.