October 31st, 2012
The arrest of editor Kostas Vaxevanis for exposing alleged tax cheats is just the latest attack on free speech in Greece. Democracy itself is now in danger, say Asteris Masouras and Veroniki Krikoni (more…)
Tags: Tags: Asteris Masouras, censorship, defamation, Downton Abbey, Europe, Golden Dawn, Greece, Kostas Vaxevanis, Lagarde list, press freedom,
October 17th, 2012
The Bahrain Interior Ministry announced the arrest of four people for defaming public figures on social media today (17 October), with authorities still searching for a fifth. The Acting General Director of Anti-Corruption, Electronic and Economic Security said that the suspects confessed to their crime, which could result in a jail sentence of up to five years. Bahrain’s cyber defamation laws — which include the publication of “fake news” — were revised in September, resulting in heavier monitoring of social media networks to tackle the “misuse” of such platforms. Index award winner Nabeel Rajab of the Bahrain Human Rights Center is currently appealing a three year sentence for organising pro-democracy rallies via social networks.Tags: Tags: arab spring, Bahrain, cybercrime, defamation, social media,
October 9th, 2012
The UK government’s Defamation Bill goes to the House of Lords for its second reading debate today. Michael Harris explains why it’s vital that the government acts to protect free speech
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Tags: Tags: David Cameron, defamation, Ed Miliband, House of Lords, law, libel reform, libel tourism, Nick Clegg, Parliament, public interest,
October 9th, 2012
The following letter calling for greater defamation law reform, including limiting corporations ability to use libel law to silence civil society critics, was coordinated by Index on Censorship and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange network (IFEX)
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Tags: Tags: defamation, law, libel, libel reform, UK,
September 17th, 2012
To improve the culture, practice and ethics of the press, we must protect and promote the best of journalism. Alan Rusbridger makes the case for a new settlement
September 12th, 2012
After years of campaigning, we have the chance to pass defamation laws that are fit for the 21st century. We cannot miss this opportunity, says Jo Glanville (more…)
Tags: Tags: defamation, freedom of speech, Jo Glanville, libel, libel reform, Media, UK,
July 6th, 2012
Scientific journal Nature won a libel claim today that has lasted three years. Egyptian scientist Mohamed El Naschie had argued the journal had defamed him in a November 2008 story, which alleged he used his editorial privilege to self-publish numerous papers he had written and which would not have been published elsewhere due to poor quality and lack of peer review. At the High Court today Mrs Justice Sharp rejected El Naschie’s claim, accepting the defendants’ defences of justification, honest comment and the Reynolds privilege for responsible journalism on a matter of public interest.Tags: Tags: defamation, libel, libel reform, Mohamed El Naschie, Nature, science, UK,
June 29th, 2012
Comics Dara Ó Briain and Dave Gorman and scientist Professor Brian Cox joined Index and the Libel Reform Campaign at Downing Street to demand a public interest defence in the defamation bill
Tags: Tags: Ben Goldacre, Brian Cox, chi onwarah, dara o'briain, Dave Gorman, David Davis, david marshall, defamation, English PEN, Evan Harris, free expression, free speech, Index on Censorship, Jo Glanville, Kamila Shamsie, kate briscoe, katie o'donovan, Kirsty Hughes, Leah Borromeo, legal beagles, libel reform, lord beecham, lord mcnally, Mumsnet, Paul Farrelly, Peter Wilmshurst, robert flello, sense about science, simon hughes, Simon Singh, stuart jones, tim appenzeller, tracey brown, which?,
