Posts Tagged ‘Jonathan Dimbleby’

Index responds to Leveson Royal Charter

March 18th, 2013

Index logo xIndex on Censorship Chair Jonathan Dimbleby has issued the following statement on behalf of Index’s trustees:
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Libel reform – a message from Index on Censorship Chair Jonathan Dimbleby

March 16th, 2011

Dear friends,

Yesterday the UK Justice Secretary laid out his plans for the draft defamation bill in the House of Commons. You can read it here. The Deputy Prime Minister, a strong supporter, also sets out his vision for the bill here.

The publication of the draft legislation was the culmination of a campaign Index on Censorship has led for the last 18 months to reform England’s archaic libel laws. The Free Speech Is Not For Sale report co-written by Index on Censorship and English PEN set the framework for a national debate about free expression and reputation. With a third partner, Sense About Science, we signed up 55,000 people, predominantly from the UK and USA, to join our campaign.

When our campaign began no political party in Britain had committed to wholesale reform of these laws since 1945; at the last general election each of the main political parties had done so. Over the past nine months, the coalition government took forward our suggestions. We are now working to improve the bill ahead of its passage through parliament over the next year.

As John Kampfner, our CEO, outlined in today’s Financial Times, English law had been used by the powerful to chill the free speech of NGOs, academics and other citizens around the world. The proposed changes go a considerable way to addressing the imbalance. This will be the first time in a generation that UK libel laws have been looked at anew – and we are confident that it will make a significant difference to free expression across the globe.

We wouldn’t be here without your support.

Thank you.

Jonathan Dimbleby,

Chairman,

Index on Censorship

Freedom of Expression Awards 2011: The shortlist

March 14th, 2011

Index on Censorship has published the shortlist for the Freedom of Expression Awards 2011.

The 11th annual Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards honour those who, often at great personal risk, give voice to issues and stories from around the globe that may otherwise have passed unnoticed.

This year’s ceremony on 24 March 2011 will be hosted by broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby at the Royal Institution in London, with a keynote speech by Booker Prize-winning novelist Howard Jacobson. Click here to buy tickets.

Award judges introduce the nominees in each category at these links:

The Bindmans award for Law and Campaigning

The Guardian Journalism award

The Intelligent Life Arts award

The New Media award, supported by Google

Nominees for this year’s awards, presented in association with SAGE, include Egyptian newspaper editor Ibrahim Eissa, British playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, campaigning Pakistani politician Sherry Rehman and MF Husain, regarded as India’s greatest living artist. There will also be a special commendation, presented by Sir Tom Stoppard.

Dimbleby: fearful BBC risks losing its way

May 13th, 2009

jeremy-bowenThe BBC Trust’s condemnation of Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen has the potential to cause serious damage to the corporation’s international standing, says Jonathan Dimbleby
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