British writers in battle over defamation law

A group of well-known British writers, including Stephen Fry, Tom Stoppard, William Boyd, Margaret Drabble, Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes and Salman Rushdie, have sent an open letter to British party leaders asking them not to give up on the change for 170 years of the old defamation or shaming laws that, they believe, have silenced many scholars, writers, journalists and activists throughout history.

In an open letter to David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, they claim that they are deeply concerned that the proposed Defamation Law will be "killed" after a three-year procedure because it has become part of a political dispute over the so-called of the Liveson report.

The report they refer to refers to the results of an investigation launched after the discovery that journalists from the tabloid "News of the World" tapped the phones of celebrities and families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The tabloid is owned by Australian Rupert Murdoch.

The practice of eavesdropping, hiring private detectives and bribing police officers, it turned out, was not unknown to other media either. The investigation lasted 16 months, and the results, published in a 2000-page document, sparked a fierce debate about whether the media should be regulated or not.

The practice of eavesdropping, hiring private detectives and bribing police officers, it turned out, was not unknown to other media either.

Although they were not the only ones who claimed that most of these problems could have been solved on the basis of the already existing criminal law, in the last-minute changes to the defamation law, several more amendments were inserted that also refer to the media, which Downing Street opposes.

British libel laws have not changed significantly since 1843, and the writers claim in their letter that "it is completely inappropriate, even irresponsible, for libel reform to be sacrificed because of the current political climate."

The existing laws, the signatories continue, are not only a "national shame" but also a topic of international importance and point out that in 2010 the American president signed laws protecting American citizens from British courts. British law, when it comes to defamation, is so strict that anyone who sues a media or author for defamation is guaranteed to win in court.

Under the changes to the law, plaintiffs would have to prove they suffered serious harm before suing someone. The new law would also protect those who engage in scientific and academic debates, as well as the media due to the publication of "material of public interest".

"If the law is not reformed, abusers will still be able to prevent the publication of stories that are often not only a matter of public interest but also a matter of safety and public health," the authors state in an open letter, adding that the Defamation Law is not an "appropriate tool" for reform. regulation of print media.