At a rally in parliament yesterday, MPs and Peers responded to the Libel Reform Campaign’s blueprint for reform in advance of the publication of the Government’s defamation bill next week, saying this is a ‘once in a lifetime chance’ to radically reform the laws. Read the blueprint, What should a defamation bill contain?, here.
Lord Bach, Opposition Spokesperson for Justice, said that “reform of the defamation laws is clearly a cause whose time has come. This is a campaign that has massive support. I congratulate the Libel Reform Campaign on having got to this stage.”
His comments were echoed by other MPs and Peers.
David Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden, agreed that “we have a massive mandate for change here; there is no doubt about that. This is a once in a generation opportunity. If we get it wrong our children pay the consequences.”
Denis Macshane, MP for Rotherham, reiterated “this is not a once in a generation chance, but once in a lifetime. We cannot let this slip.”
Lord Willis of Knaresborough urged the campaign to continue to “use all of its might to make sure the Government’s bill is translated into real action.”
Lord Lester of Herne Hill said, “The problem for libel reform is we are not starting with a clean slate but with 300 years of case law.”
