7.13 Arizona Constitution

• Jurisdiction: Arizona

7.13 Arizona Constitution.

Article II, Section 6, of the Arizona Constitution provides that “[e]very person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.” The drafters of the Arizona Constitution modeled this provision on Article I, Section 5, of the Washington Constitution, and Arizona courts will turn to Washington state-court precedent for guidance.⁸⁹

The Arizona Supreme Court has repeatedly held that Article II, Section 6, grants broader protections than the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.⁹⁰ Section 6 does not, however, provide greater privileges for otherwise defamatory statements.⁹¹

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