Adjournment debate on Wednesday, 21 October 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Evan Harris. The answering member was Bridget Prentice.

English Libel Law (Parliamentary Proceedings)

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on the effects of English libel law on the reporting of parliamentary proceedings.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 497 c272-95WH
Session: 2008-09
Department: Ministry of Justice
Chamber / Committee: Westminster Hall
Proceeding contributions: David Heath | 497 c288-90WH (Link to this contribution) This is an important matter in both constitutional and legal terms, and I am pleased that my hon. Fr...; Richard Shepherd | 497 c287-8WH (Link to this contribution) I am very grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) for enabling me to have ...; Gerald Howarth | 497 c287WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend makes an extremely good point and I am happy to sit down now. I hope that I have made...; Richard Shepherd | 497 c286WH (Link to this contribution) It is an impertinent intervention, but there are only four minutes left for Back Benchers to speak i...; Gerald Howarth | 497 c286WH (Link to this contribution) No, I have not read the comments of the Lord Chief Justice, and will happily do so, in order that I ...; Paul Farrelly | 497 c286WH (Link to this contribution) Clearly, from what has happened this week, it is not only Parliament that shares these concerns, but...; Gerald Howarth | 497 c285-6WH (Link to this contribution) As I understand it, the substantive proceeding had not been set down. The hon. Member for Newcastle-...; Evan Harris | 497 c291WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Lord Bellingham | 497 c290-1WH (Link to this contribution) First, I must declare an interest as a barrister. I congratulate the hon. Member for Oxford, West an...; Bridget Prentice | 497 c294-5WH (Link to this contribution) I am going to come to some of the things that need to happen in future. The sub judice rule is an e...; Evan Harris | 497 c294WH (Link to this contribution) I will be quick because I think the Minister is about to move on. What she says is helpful, but it i...; Bridget Prentice | 497 c293WH (Link to this contribution) It is most certainly my view that the advice given by both—no doubt eminent—lawyers was incorrect. I...; Peter Bottomley | 497 c292WH (Link to this contribution) I do not think that this is a libel case. Does my hon. Friend agree that it would be helpful if Traf...; Lord Bellingham | 497 c292WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend has made his point very well. In my two remaining minutes, I wish to say a little ab...; Evan Harris | 497 c291WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his remarks. I urge him and other hon. Members to think care...; Lord Bellingham | 497 c291-2WH (Link to this contribution) I quite agree. That could be the subject of a debate lasting many hours. The Culture, Media and Spor...; Bridget Prentice | 497 c293WH (Link to this contribution) I was just about to come to article 9 of the Bill of Rights. I am astonished that lawyers around the...; John Whittingdale | 497 c293WH (Link to this contribution) Is it the Minister's view that the advice given by Carter-Ruck and by the in-house lawyer of The Gua...; Bridget Prentice | 497 c292-3WH (Link to this contribution) I will do my best to be robust and brave, but I accept the view of the hon. Member for North-West No...; David Heath | 497 c293WH (Link to this contribution) I hope that the Lord Chief Justice has made himself aware of the fact that the issue is not what hap...; Lord Bellingham | 497 c291WH (Link to this contribution) I will give way only once because people want to hear the Minister, not me.; Gerald Howarth | 497 c275WH (Link to this contribution) First, I ought to declare an interest. Some years ago, I benefited from the services of Messrs. Pete...; Evan Harris | 497 c274-5WH (Link to this contribution) A strong case can be made for that, and certainly parliamentary action is needed. While case law is ...; Speaker | 497 c278WH (Link to this contribution) Before we proceed, let me make my intentions known. I intend to call the first Front-Bench spokesman...; Evan Harris | 497 c275-7WH (Link to this contribution) First, I should point out that The Guardian contests whether, or the extent to which, they accepted ...; Gerald Howarth | 497 c278WH (Link to this contribution) Will the hon. Gentleman tell us how he came by this information that The Guardian was about to publi...; Paul Farrelly | 497 c278WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) on securing this debate. T...; John Whittingdale | 497 c281-3WH (Link to this contribution) As has already been said, the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, which I have the privile...; Paul Farrelly | 497 c278-81WH (Link to this contribution) Strangely enough, I anticipated that question from the hon. Gentleman. As a former journalist, I wou...; Gerald Howarth | 497 c285WH (Link to this contribution) Let me say at the outset that I yield to no one in my enthusiasm and support for parliamentary privi...; Peter Bottomley | 497 c283-5WH (Link to this contribution) By way of a declaration of fact, I should say that I have had four successful claims against newspap...; Andrew Dismore | 497 c273-4WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) on his birthday, as I unde...; Evan Harris | 497 c273WH (Link to this contribution) Thank you, Mr. Gale. I was going to come on to Carter-Ruck's behaviour, a matter on which individual...; Speaker | 497 c273WH (Link to this contribution) Order. Before we proceed, for obvious reasons, several hon. Members want to take part in the debate....; Denis MacShane | 497 c273WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman—I might call him my hon. Friend in this cause. We were here a fe...; Evan Harris | 497 c272-3WH (Link to this contribution) I am pleased to have secured this debate, which deals with some important issues: parliamentary priv...; Peter Bottomley | 497 c285WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend is making his point reasonably, but it is worth pointing out that the PEN and Index o...
Subjects: Defamation Injunctions Parliamentary privilege Press freedom Parliamentary questions Parliamentary reporting The Guardian Trafigura Carter-Ruck Solicitors
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

English Libel Law (Parliamentary Proceedings)

Secondary information

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