My victory over “his Holiness” reignites the debate on the place of religion in secular courts but the ordeal is not over yet. Hardeep Singh reports
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Lord Lester Introduces His Defamation Private Members’ Bill
22 June
12.00pm – 2.00pm
Free Word Centre
The Libel Reform Campaign presents Lord Lester to introduce his Defamation Private Members’ Bill at the Free Word Centre. On 27 May, Lord Lester tabled his Private Members’ Bill in the House of Lords. At the event he will introduce his Bill, explain what he seeks to redress and his public interest defence.
Free Word Centre
60 Farringdon Road
London
EC1R 3GA
A Zimbabwean government minister is suing a newspaper for defamation after it published accusations of corruption. The state-owned Chronicle newspaper will face Byl Manyange in the High Court next month, after reporting remarks allegedly made by mining minister Obert Mpofu, which suggested Manyange procured services for undeserving individuals. Mpofu now denies making the comments at a police function in Ntabazinduna last year.
A defamation case brought against the chief editor of Rodnoye Priyapovy, Sergei Shvedko, for doubting aspects of a 1930s famine has been squashed, creating a legal precedent. Businessman Vasily Kovalenko brought the case over an article that stated the Soviet famine — known as Holodomor— was not genocide against the Ukrainian people in particular. Kovalenko cited the constitution which outlaws Holodomor denial. But the court ruling stated Shevdko’s article “did not deny the fact of Holodomor” and was “subjective opinion”.