5 Mar 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
The Liberian government has been accused of resorting to intimidation to censor the nation’s media. The Center for Media Studies & Peace Building (CEMESP) has published its 2009 review of threats to freedom of expression, which urges the government to recognise the rights of others to dissent. Malcolm Joseph, Executive Director of the CEMESP, said that the use of intimidation as a means of enforcing conformance “is a treachery”. Highlighting the validity of the report, Liberian journalists were this week denied access to a meeting between former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Vice President Joseph Boakai. The CEMESP said that these tactics were more reminiscent of the regimes of Charles Taylor and Samuel Doe, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange reported.
4 Mar 2010 | News, Uncategorized
Index on Censorship today welcomes the Justice Secretary’s decision to cut lawyers’ fees dramatically in ‘no win no fee’ defamation cases, but warns that costs are only one part of a libel system in need of serious reform
Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced last night (03 Mar) that he will cut the amount that lawyers can claim in “success fees” in defamation cases from 100 per cent of costs to 10 per cent.
Straw said:“Reducing the success fees charged by lawyers in no-win, no-fee defamation cases will help level the playing field so that scientists, journalists and writers can continue to publish articles which are in the public interest without incurring such disproportionate legal bills.”
The Ministry of Justice amendment was made by statutory order yesterday and will come into effect from April this year.
English PEN and Index on Censorship’s report on libel law, “Free Speech is Not for Sale” recommended capping base costs and making success fees and After the Event insurance non-recoverable.
John Kampfner, Chief Executive of Index on Censorship says the move is a welcome step on the road to libel reform.
He said:
“Our libel courts should be concerned to secure fairness for all, not to reward those with large pockets. It is now up to the legal profession to adapt to the new circumstances to ensure access to justice for claimants and defendants alike.”
Jo Glanville, Editor of Index on Censorship and member of the Ministry of Justice working party on libel reform said:
“We’re delighted that the Justice Secretary has addressed one of the most significant chills on free speech by slashing success fees in ‘no win, no fee’ cases – one of the key demands in our libel reform campaign with English PEN. While conditional fee agreements were introduced to provide access to justice, they had the unintended effect of in fact reducing access for newspapers, publishers and NGOs who could not afford to defend a libel action against a claimant lawyer on a CFA.”
4 Mar 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A factory worker has been executed by firing squad in North Korea for divulging information to a friend in South Korea. The man, who has only been identified by his surname Chong, was accused of sharing the price of rice and other information on an illegal mobile phone with a defector. Seoul-based Open Radio for North Korea revealed that security officials raided the man’s house and found a Chinese-manufactured phone. North Korea does allow mobile devices to be used, but their range is limited to the capital Pyongyang. The country is notorious for its disregard of human rights and has no organised political opposition or a free media.
3 Mar 2010 | News, United Kingdom
Michael Foot was not only a principled politician, writes Paul Anderson. The former Labour party leader was a passionate journalist and a lifelong defender of free expression
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