As Index on Censorship and English Pen launch “Free Speech is Not For Sale”, a damning report on English libel laws, John Kampfner highlights the pressing need for reform
Libel reform: The laws that stain Britain’s good name
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CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
The Libel Report: The silence of the arts, the press, science, charities…
A new report by English PEN Index on Censorship argues that fear of libel action means that freedom of expression is under threat as never before, John Kampfner tells the Independent’s Ian Burrell
Iraq inquiry: silencing witnesses
Public hearings into the Iraq war are set to begin on 24 November, the panel’s chairman Sir John Chilcot said today. But witnesses still do not know whether the evidence they give will ever make its way into the public domain, says Chris Ames
UK: Rebuilding freedoms
The road to greater surveillance and restrictions of liberties has been paved with good intentions from both the right and left, says Matthew Ryder. As the public mood changes, it is worth keeping this in mind
The BBC and the BNP: An uncomfortable public service
John Kampfner: British National Party leader Nick Griffin received the oxygen of publicity he craved by winning his spot on Question Time, Britain’s premier TV debate show, but at the end of a nation’s ordeal, democracy emerged intact.
MPs and campaigners call for ban on super injunctions
Index on Censorship and English PEN today welcomed MPs’ robust response to law firm Carter-Ruck’s challenge to reporting of parliament, and called for a ban on the use of so-called ‘super injunctions’ except in extreme circumstances.
Huhne: Why I will face Nick Griffin on the BBC
The BNP leader’s appearance on Question Time is not a “no platform” issue, says Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne. It is time to confront the BNP by championing moderation and tolerance
Spy book in Supreme Court
A former British spy is in court today in an attempt to stop a ban on a book he has written. The UK government say the revalations in the book could harm national security. Read more here Read Tamsin Allen's article on the case for Index on...
MEPs lose parliamentary access
Elected representative have been denied privileged access to the House of Commons. Is censorship a factor? Index on Censorship reports
An unlikely champion
Geert Wilders visit today to Westminster is a small blow against censorship, says Oliver Kamm