Legal Research

Rebalancing Defamation Law ? Libel Tourists Won?t Be Welcome in London

By Simon Chester

A year ago, when the Libel Reform Campaign was launched only the Liberal Democrats strongly endorsed the need for change.

Now the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg, as Deputy Prime Minister will announce a major reform project on Friday, which we’ll link to as soon as it is released.

The Guardian says:

The reforms will include a statutory public interest defence. The Government will release a bill, in draft form in March then subject it to a six month consultation. likely to reach the statute book in 2013 following hard-fought lobbying. It will turn “English libel laws from an international laughing stock to an international blueprint”.

Mr Clegg will say: “We intend to provide a new statutory defence for those speaking out in the public interest. And to clarify the law around the existing defences of fair comment and justification.”

Britain will become the first country to ask parliament to set out its libel laws, and provide greater clarity, his officials said.

He also wants large corporations to show they have suffered substantial damage before they sue individuals and non-governmental organisations.

A new limited privilege will be given to newspapers when reporting the proceedings of foreign parliaments.

The draft bill will also try to restrict libel tourism. Mr Clegg will pledge that the Coalition?s measures will prevent foreign claimants bringing cases against foreign defendants in the English courts when their connection with England is ?tenuous?.

?We believe claimants should not be able to threaten claims on what are essentially trivial grounds. We are going to tackle libel tourism. And we?re going to look at how the law can be updated to better reflect the realities of the internet,? Mr Clegg will say.

And for Bloggers, here is a short practical guide to libel law, released today – let’s hope that it

Full post as published by Slaw.ca on January 06, 2011 (boomark / email).