UK Minister Unveils Plan To Cut Down On Libel Tourism

from the it's-a-start dept

Wed, Mar 24th 2010 8:51pm — Mike Masnick

There's been a lot of concern in the UK about how its defamation/libel laws are quite draconian, and are often used for "libel tourism," (bringing cases in the UK, just because of those stricter laws). This has resulted in a serious backlash and in promises to explore changing UK libel law. UK Justice minister Jack Straw has now released a proposal on updating defamation law in the UK, and while it's a start, it's not clear it goes far enough. The good news is that "public interest" and "good faith" would become defenses to libel claims. This is definitely important, but it could go much further. It seems that the burden should actually be on the party claiming defamation to prove that the content was put forth in bad faith. Still, it's good to see indications that the UK is serious about updating its tragically out of date defamation laws.

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Filed Under: defamation, jack straw, libel, libel tourism, public interest, uk

4 Comments

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Ross Nicholson, 24 Mar 2010 @ 9:37pm

British law inviolate!
Maintain British tradition! Laws should not everywhere be exactly the same! Britain distinguishes itself in its libel laws. Bully Britannia!
Does the existing law further justice? Yes. Does the existing law allow uniquely won victories? Yes. Does England preserve itself enforcing existing law? It is a certainty. Save the libel laws and give wealthy foreigners a soapbox from which to speak their rich and famous peace--and increase their court fees to cover costs and provide Her Majesty the handsome profit to reward Her Majesty's court's beneficence.
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NAMELESS.ONE, 24 Mar 2010 @ 9:48pm

yum tastey...i like UK libel dishing
NO its does not furtahr justice when almost everywhere else what is done in UK is like the equivilent of the patent troll for libel

ya see what cruel and unusual is in Canada means we are not allowed by RIGHT to make unjust laws. IT means you cannot keep penalizing people for what they should be allowed to say and do. IT means you cant put a kid in prison for 5.4 years as ACTA would do in CANADA if enacted as was TOTALLY leaked yesterday.

AND it certainly means as an opinion i can call you a twit shit for brains moron that has no clue of law and i'm not talking about the green LAWn you have neither.

AND yes the opinions expressed are those of the poster and do not NECESSARILY ( while im sure mike might go your an ass offline ) be those of the website
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Mar 2010 @ 10:04pm

Re: yum tastey...i like UK libel dishing
Your internet license has now been revoked. Please exit the tubes immediately.
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Robert, 24 Mar 2010 @ 11:34pm

The UK will have a general election within the next three months, and probably a new government, so any laws being proposed now, good or bad, are pretty much just talk. For that matter, the digital economy bill may get jettisoned. There's only so much parliamentary time available before parliament is dissolved, and other bills may have higher priority. The budget definitely does.
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