Recently, there have been claims from a group of politicians in England that our law of defamation is being misused and in urgent need of reform. Those who make the case on behalf of the press (never a bad thing to do in terms of one’s own personal PR, a cynic might observe) claim that the law is being misused by wealthy individuals in order to improperly intimidate British journalists and media organisations to the extent that some newspapers now choose not to cover the activities of certain individuals or organisations out of fear of being sued for libel.
Were this a major issue, I agree that it would be concerning. Of course I believe in freedom of expression and its role in underpinning any democratic society. However, my experience as a lawyer in this field is that the press rarely cower from writing about the rich and powerful. Far from it in fact, as they usually cover such individuals with some zest.
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