The following letter calling for greater defamation law reform, including limiting corporations ability to use libel law to silence civil society critics, was coordinated by Index on Censorship and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange network (IFEX)
Prime Minister David Cameron
10 Downing Street
London, UK SW1A 2AA
Fax: +442079250918
cc. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
Ed Miliband, Leader of the Opposition
RE: Reforming English Libel Law
9 October 2012
Dear Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition,
We the undersigned represent free expression and civil society organisations from across the globe. We welcome the UK government’s attempt to revise English libel law, but remain concerned that the legislation fails to deliver the reform that you promised in your election manifestos and in the May 2010 coalition agreement.
English libel law has been shown to have a chilling effect on free speech around the world. We believe that the Defamation Bill will address this in part by tackling libel tourism, where foreign claimants have brought libel actions to the English courts against defendants who are neither British nor resident in this country. However, the Bill as it stands would not have prevented any of the libel cases that we have seen over the last few years against journalists, scientists, doctors and activists who have spoken out on issues that are in the public interest.
We call on the government to include a strong public interest defence in the Defamation Bill to allow free and open debate in the UK and abroad.
In addition, restrictions must be placed on corporations to limit their ability to use libel law to bully and silence their critics.
The UN Human Rights Committee has warned that unduly restrictive libel law in the UK could have a negative impact on the right to freedom of expression worldwide. We believe it is of the utmost importance that the government delivers reform that protects freedom of speech both in the UK and abroad.
Yours sincerely,
Index on Censorship
Aliansi Jurnalis Independen/Alliance of Independent Journalists
ARTICLE 19
Association of Caribbean Media Workers
Association of Independent Electronic Media
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
Committee to Protect Journalists
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
Freedom House
Hong Kong Journalists Association
Initiative for Freedom of Expression
International Federation of Journalists
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Media Foundation for West Africa
Media Institute of Southern Africa
MISA Angola
MISA Botswana
MISA Lesotho
MISA Malawi
MISA Mozambique
MISA Namibia
MISA South Africa
MISA Swaziland
MISA Tanzania
MISA Zambia
MISA Zimbabwe
Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de ExpresiĂłn – OLA
Pacific Islands News Association
Pakistan Press Foundation
Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms – MADA
Public Association “Journalists”
Reporters Without Borders
South East European Network for the Professionalization of the Media
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
World Press Freedom Committee
Albanian Helsinki Committee
Antigua and Barbuda Media Congress
Belarusian Human Rights House
Center for Civil Liberties, Ukraine
Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Russia
Center for National and International Studies, Azerbaijan
English PEN
Freedom Files, Russia
Foundation of Regional Initiatives, Ukraine
Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association
Human Rights Club, Azerbaijan
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor, Armenia
Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Lithuania
International Partnership for Human Rights, Belgium
Netherlands Helsinki Committee
Norwegian Helsinki Committee
Nota Bene, Tajikistan
Promo LEX Association, Moldova
Public foundation Golos svobody, Kyrgyzstan
Sense About Science
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
