Anthony McIntyre - Irish News Working to Censor

You can read all about it here, here and here.

 

Index on Censorship speaks out against NI libel isolationism

Mike Harris, head of advocacy with Index on Censorship wrote a article, 'Stormont must give us a libel law fit for modern age,' in the Belfast Telegraph and on the Index website, available here and here. Mike wrote:

"To protect free speech, US President Barack Obama signed into law the US Speech Act to protect US citizens from the effect of English, Welsh and Northern Irish libel law, an act described as a “national embarrassment” by MPs. 

Now Northern Ireland is alone with its embarrassing libel law. The law of England and Wales has been substantially reformed after the Libel Reform Campaign won support from 60,000 members of the public and over 100 charities and campaigning groups and in response the Government passed the Defamation Act. 

Daily Telegraph and other national publications hint at leaving Northern Ireland

Daily Telegraph hints at leaving NI over DUP libel reform block. http://t.co/2O2j0DM126
— Newton Emerson (@NewtonEmerson) June 28, 2013

Newton Emerson in the tweet above drew my attention to the report that the Daily Telegraph has hinted that it may leave Northern Ireland because of the old libel law regime. Newton Emerson also made an interesting and very Emersonian remark on Twitter: on this occasion, on the DUP's readiness to pursue publishers and social media users for libel damages:

Belfast may lose 'libel capital of the world' title to Dublin, says Paul Tweed

I've discussed Paul Tweed twice before elsewhere, both here and here and the libel and media law specialist requires mention again.

On June 5 2013 Paul Tweed asked on the Huffington Post, Belfast or Dublin to Be the Next Libel Capital of the World? With the leader of the UUP working on his private members Bill which would bring legal parity with the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland's libel isolationism and the negatives and benefits it brings could be lost. Paul explains:

"Unfortunately, the newspaper had failed to show similar concern about the fact that Northern Ireland citizens have for many years been treated differently from their counterparts in the UK in terms of access to the libel Courts. Unlike the position in England, lawyers in Northern Ireland have in the past not been allowed to act on a "no win no fee basis", nor have After the Event (ATE) insurance premiums been recoverable, thereby making it even more difficult for the ordinary man on the street to obtain access to justice. 

The Story of the Defamation Act in Northern Ireland (so far...)

The Press Gazette and other publishers recently suggested that the unilateral Sammy Wilson decision not to pass a 'legislative consent motion", which would have implemented in full the Defamation Act into Northern Ireland law, could hurt the devolved province. Lord Lester, the Liberal Democrat architect of the new libel law said the decision was a "very bad step" for the public.