5.12.07

Ireland leads way with new libel laws

The Irish Parliament (Seanad) has been debating the 2006 Libel Bill which is likely to be broadly welcomed by the media and serves as a pragmatic pointer for a necessary update to the ailing 1996 Act in England.

Good news for the media comes in the form of a defence where there has been a "fair and reasonable publication on a matter of public interest", less so is the proposal to give apologies the same prominence as the originating offending piece - so if a tabloid plasters X shagged Y on its front page it will also have to print that it 'says sorry' for getting it wrong on its front page - an unusual sight that would be.

More HERE

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