 Mandela knew it, Braveheart knew it, even George Michael knew it. Freedom is one of our most fundamental rights. Lucky for us, our freedom is protected by the Human Rights Convention. But what does that mean exactly? Essentially, liberty is the right to physical freedom within society. It's been a part of UK law for centuries. Since that dastardly, pantomime villain, King John sealed Magna Casa way back in 1215. The historic charter proclaimed, No man shall be seized or imprisoned, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. So what gives us the right to liberty today? Article 5 of the Human Rights Convention protects us from unreasonable detention, such as being arrested or facing imprisonment. That means there has to be a solid reason for your arrest and you have the right to know what that is. You should be taken to court and have a trial in a reasonable amount of time. And if you think you were arrested unlawfully, you have the right to challenge that. If you were unlawfully held, then Article 5 also entitles you to compensation. So basically just don't do anything shady and you should be golden, right? Wrong. Even if you haven't committed a crime, there are certain circumstances in which your liberty can be restricted. But sometimes these exceptions can be abused. In 2014, a man with severe mental health difficulties was removed from his mother's home and placed into a care home under continuous supervision and control. His care regime meant that he wasn't allowed to leave, so the Supreme Court ruled his right to liberty had been breached. Freedom. Excuse you. Anyway, liberty or freedom is obviously super important and absolutely necessary in a fair and just society. So now you know why it's so essential, make sure you celebrate it and most importantly, protect it. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.