This is a press release from Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship and its partners in the Libel Reform Campaign are celebrating a resounding success as Nick Clegg outlined the concrete measures the government will take to reform England’s iniquitous defamation laws.
Commenting after his speech on civil liberties today, Clegg said:
“I would like to pay tribute to the Libel Reform Campaign who have led the debate on this issue for so long. Their tireless work has kept up the pressure on politicians of all parties to reform England’s libel laws. I hope they feel they have been rewarded by the Coalition Government’s announcement today which will turn our libel laws from an international laughing stock to an international blueprint for reform.”
This is a triumph for Index on Censorship and the Libel Reform Campaign. With your support, we have made reform of our archaic and illiberal defamation law a priority for the coalition government. Justice minister Lord McNally has even said that he will judge the success of his ministerial career on the transformation of the law.
While there is still much work to be done, we would like to thank everyone who supported our campaign so far. We must now ensure, with your help, that the government honours its commitment.
Read more at the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Independent and the Press Gazette.
Read John Kampfner’s Independent article on England’s libel laws and the need for reform here.