NEWS RELEASE: Shoddy deal on Leveson crosses the line on press freedom in the UK

19Mar13
Index on Censorship CEO Kirsty Hughes called the (emerging) deal on press regulation a “sad day for press freedom in the UK”.  She said that “Index is against the introduction of a Royal Charter that determines the details of establishing a press regulator in the UK – the involvement of politicians undermines the fundamental principle that the press holds politicians to account. Politicians have now stepped in as ringmaster and our democracy is tarnished as a result.
She also said: “Requiring a two third majority from both Houses for future changesin the Royal Charter introduces political involvement for all time into press regulation in the UK. It is a bleak moment for the UK’s international reputation as a country where press freedom is cherished as a fundamental principle and right. The fact that this requirement is now being applied to all Royal Charters is a rushed and fudged attempt to pretend this is not just a press law; it resembles precisely the kind of political manoeuvring we see in Hungary today – where the government is amending its own constitution through a parliamentary vote undermining key principles of their democracy.