Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Evan Harris (Liberal Democrat), on Wednesday, 9 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 249 members in total.

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LIBEL LAW REFORM

That this House notes that human rights activists, scientists, writers and journalists are prevented from publishing, and the public prevented from reading, matters of strong public interest due to the chilling effect of English libel law; further notes that libel actions in England and Wales cost 100 times more than the European average; further notes that the costs of defending a libel case are usually prohibitive and that even successful defendants do not recover their full costs; further notes the report of the United Nations Committee on Human Rights which criticises English libel law for its stifling of free expression globally due to libel tourism whereby foreign complainants bring cases against foreign writers for alleged libel in overseas publications; believes that public interest is endangered by powerful vested interests and corporations being able to intimidate writers into not publishing; recognises the recent report by Index on Censorship and English PEN, Free speech is not for sale andfurther notes the campaign for scientific freedom by Sense About Science; welcomes the formation of the Libel Reform Coalition to campaign for law reform; and calls for a re-casting of the libel laws such that, while individual reputation is protected against malicious or reckless smears, lawful free expression is not chilled and there is a fully effective public interest defence for both scholarship and responsible journalism.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received an amendment.

LIBEL LAW REFORM (423A1)

The Early day motion has received an amendment sponsored by Mark Durkan (primary, Social Democratic & Labour Party) and tabled on Monday, 14 December 2009. It has been signed by 19 members in total.

after `publishing;', insert `further believes that the libel laws discriminate against average and low paid people when victims of defamatory comment in the pages of national publications;'.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

423 

423A1 

Session

2009-10

Other sponsors

Peter Bottomley

Denis MacShane

Adam Price

Paul Farrelly

Philip Davies

Subjects

Civil law

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk