Comments on: London’s (and Belfast’s) libel-shoppers

By: J.T. Wenting

J.T. Wenting — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:22:04 +0000

Anything that gets the European slander press on their knees is good with me. They’re disgusting, if anyone except the press were to say the things they say they’d be arrested for it.

By: Ima Fish

Ima Fish — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 09:38:29 +0000

"UK politicians like the libel laws just fine as they are for their own libel suits..." Oh, I guess you're right. It is Britney Spears' fault!

By: Ima Fish

Ima Fish — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 09:32:12 +0000

“so the press (in the US) can print anything about anyone, regardless of truth or accuracy.”

Well, not anyone. Any untruthful statement printed against someone who is not in the public spotlight, e.g., not a celebrity or a politician, would be subject to a valid libel lawsuit. So if the New York Times did a front page article about your Aunt Bertha’s pedophilia it would be subject to a libel lawsuit, assuming of course that your Aunt is not a pedophile.

Against someone in the public spotlight, the press can print falsity unless it is done with malice. Thus, it can print rumors unless the reporter is doing it with malice, which obviously is hard to prove.

And I’m not entirely sure why you think our system is a bad thing. The general public is protected while the press is free to investigate our politicians and others who push themselves into the spotlight. Basically put, if someone wants to be under the spotlight, they shouldn’t complain about being under the spotlight.

By: InRussetShadows

InRussetShadows — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 03:21:46 +0000

I was under the impression that the libel laws in the UK were loser-pays. Is that so? What’s so horrible about the libel laws as they stand? Here in the states, libel and slander are virtually unwinnable cases, so the press can print anything about anyone, regardless of truth or accuracy.

By: Moriarty

Moriarty — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 11:14:33 +0000

If you don’t like the libel laws in your country, have them changed!

If only it was that simple.
UK politicians like the libel laws just fine as they are for their own libel suits, so where’s their incentive to change things?

By: Ima Fish

Ima Fish — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:45:29 +0000

“But it’s bad for those of us who live in Britain permanently.”

If you don’t like the libel laws in your country, have them changed! Gosh, you’re blaming everyone else but your own country for your screwed up laws!

Is it really Britney Spears’ fault that your country has illiberal, antidemocratic, and ‘repugnant’ libel laws?!