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English Libel Law (Parliamentary Proceedings)

I will do my best to be robust and brave, but I accept the view of the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) that I will not be able to solve the libel laws in the next 10 minutes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice is very much a parliamentarian—a parliamentary figure—and he will take on board every single issue that hon. Members have raised today. In that sense, this debate is only part of something that will continue, and I want to go through some of the areas that we have already started to process and some of the other issues as quickly as I can. The hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) had not heard what the Lord Chief Justice said, so I shall read it into the record:""I should need some very powerful persuasion indeed–and that, I suppose, is close to saying I simply cannot envisage–that it would be constitutionally possible, or proper, or a court to make an order which might prevent or hinder or limit discussion of any topic in Parliament. Or that any judge would intentionally formulate an injunction which would purport to have that effect."" Those are extremely strong words from the Lord Chief Justice, and I want to put it on the record that I go beyond the phrase "very powerful persuasion" and say in response to the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) that it is not possible to fetter Parliament and parliamentary discussion.