Response from the Libel Reform Campaign¹ to Lord Lester of Herne Hill’s Private Members Defamation Bill

Lord Lester’s Defamation Bill² is the first attempt in over a century to redraft libel laws that are unfair, internationally criticised and against the public interest. Our libel laws are unnecessarily complicated and unduly costly, defences are uncertain and narrow and the laws haven’t kept up with the information age. They are damaging freedom of expression and the open exchange of information worldwide.

The libel laws have been exposed as unjust …

English PEN and Index on Censorship’s Free Speech is not For Sale report³ made 10 recommendations for fairer laws; the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee report on Press Standards Privacy and Libel ⁴ called for far reaching reforms; a Ministry of Justice report⁵ said the law needs reforming in the public interest.

There is a public outcry about the chill on free speech …

Over 500 commentators, comedians, poets and authors have spoken out and over 52,000 people have signed the libel reform campaign petition. Fifty organisations including Royal Medical Colleges, human rights NGOs, medical and science bodies, authors, bloggers, publishers and media and law organisations have called for reform. Hundreds of people have reported threats of libel action leading them to remove articles, blogs, reviews, academic papers, reports and books. Vital issues of public interest are affected including drug safety, human rights abuses and corporate behaviour.

There is widespread Parliamentary support for reform … The majority of eligible MPs signed up to an EDM supporting libel law reform.⁶

There were general election manifesto commitments to reform the libel laws from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour…

There is a coalition Government promise to reform the libel laws…

…Now it’s time to change the law!