So defining the middle class in absolute terms is hard (see article).

ECONOMIST: Burgeoning bourgeoisie

Although the danger of terrorist violence facing many states could not be underestimated, they said, that should not call into question the absolute nature of the ban on torture under Article 3 of the European Convention.

ECONOMIST: Torture and deportation

So mentions like John Hemming's are protected by absolute privilege as far as MPs are concerned, under Article 9 of the Bill of Rights, and by the normal "qualified privilege" as far as journalists are concerned.

BBC: Parliamentary privilege, MPs and super-injunctions

Article 20 gives every EU resident has an absolute right to stop a company from using predictive analytics concerning employment, creditworthiness, or health decisions. (These examples come straight from the text of the new regulations.) This sounds like a good deal for data subjects until one thinks for a moment about who the local losers would be.

FORBES: More Bad Ideas from the E.U.

Article 233 of the constitution refers to the "absolute absence" of a president, meaning he is deemed permanently incapacitated.

BBC: Hugo Chavez inauguration: Conflicting views

For one thing, the Socialists again fell short of an absolute majority in parliament, so Mr Zapatero will need a regional party's backing (see article).

ECONOMIST: Spain's election