Lord Lester speaks out on defamation bill ahead of Lib Dem conference
“My Bill contains stronger and clearer defences and strikes a fairer balance between private reputation and public information,” Lord Anthony Lester writes, ahead of the Liberal Democrat party conference in Liverpool.
“It is not a charter for irresponsible journalism, nor a rigid code. Rather, it is a framework of principles and factors to be taken into account so that the law is applied with a sense of proportion.”
Writing on Lib Dem Voice, Lord Lester describes the “pressing need” for libel reform and outlines his hope “that a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament will scrutinise the Government’s draft Bill, and that the final version will become law in 2012.”
The full article can be read on Lib Dem Voice.
A Lib Dem party conference fringe event, ‘Libel laws stifle debate: will the coalition stop the chill?’ is scheduled for Tuesday September 21st at 1pm in ACC Hall 2L, ACC Liverpool.
