Peers have criticised Northern Ireland’s rejection of the Defamation Act 2013, suggesting a high-profile Belfast libel lawyer may be behind the move. Padraig Reidy reports
Lords criticise Stormont delay on libel reform
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CATEGORY: United Kingdom
Banning of Geller and Spencer from UK will only build grievance
Britain’s ban on anti-Muslim activists could do more harm than good, says Padraig Reidy
The end of Britain’s social media prosecutions?
Keir Starmer’s new guidelines aim to minimise controversial criminal cases against Twitter and Facebook users. But will they work, asks Padraig Reidy
Lord Lester slams Leveson royal charter
Leading human rights lawyer Anthony Lester has said proposed press regulation agreed by politicians and Hacked Off campaigners is “unprecedented in the free world”. Padraig Reidy reports
Libel Act to commence “before end of year”
The Justice Minister has said defamation reform will be fully in place within six months. Padraig Reidy reports
National security should not be used by governments to justify mass surveillance
Index on Censorship, English PEN, Privacy International, Open Rights Group and Article 19 are calling on the Foreign Secretary’s speech to the House of Commons on the GCHQ links to the Prism scandal, we the undersigned condemn the collection and surveillance of British citizens’ online communications and activities through the US Prism programme.
Self-censorship stifling UK artistic expression
Theresa May betrays our values by banning extremists from the airwaves
Theresa May’s proposals to ban radical preachers from the airwaves and block extremist websites are illiberal, impractical and may breach the UK’s commitment to human rights, Michael Harris writes.
Could “snooper’s charter” stop terror attacks?
Some UK politicians have said the murder of a soldier in Woolwich, London this week demonstrates the need for greater surveillance of communications data. But would a “snooper’s charter” really have made a difference? Index asked
Emma Carr of Big Brother Watch and Jamie Bartlett of Demos for their views
UK arrest guidelines are a shift towards secrecy
Justice is better served by openness and transparency, writes Padraig Reidy