The Times has a good round-up of recent libel cases, including that involving a British freelance journalist, who “will appear in the High Court to defend a libel claim being brought by an Indian ‘holy man'”.
The case will be the latest test of libel tourism: Jeet Singh is an Indian national who lives in India and is thought never to have visited Britain.
The case is also the latest in a flurry of recent activity on the libel front: today there will be a ruling with wide implications for bloggers and online media.
Having served on the UK Justice Secretary’s Working Group on Libel Reform, and as a media lawyer of more than thirty years standing, acting for both Claimants and Defendants in defamation litigation, I would express my dismay and concern in relation to the respective pledges of the three main political parties’ to review the UK libel legislation.
I believe that our existing libel laws are both fair and balanced, as outlined in the Mullis/Scott Report, with the ongoing attempts to undermine our laws by both the press and the political parties, being motivated by self-interest on the part of the former and an attempt to curry favour with the media by the latter.
Amidst the smokescreen of vitriol directed towards international litigants, while highlighting concerns of the scientific and academic community, a fundamental interest has been conveniently overlooked, namely that of the ordinary working man on the street. His rights are being gradually undermined and stripped away from him in circumstances where he is not entitled to legal aid, and where he is up against often overwhelming odds in taking on the financial might of the publishing industry. Recent moves to curb conditional fee arrangements and the recovery of After the Event insurance premiums further serve to deny the general population the right and opportunity to protect their reputation, leaving them fair game to the whims of the tabloid press.
While I would support any specific moves to protect scientific and academic research and debate, I would nonetheless point out that, over the years, I have also been called upon to represent research scientists and academics who have had to resort to litigation in order to protect their own individual reputations against the might of pharmaceutical and other corporate giants. The plight of these individuals appears to have been overlooked in the current media frenzy.
13th May 2010
Paul Tweed
Senior Partner
Johnsons Solicitors
Belfast Dublin London
http://www.globallibeldebate.com
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