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Delay in reforming defamation law.

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  • 09-11-2023 10:16pm
    #1
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,442 ✭✭✭


    In March of this year, the Cabinet granted approval for proposals by Simon Harris, who was justice minister at the time because Helen McEntee was on maternity leave, to a plan to have the law on defamation reformed. The change in the law was meant to be brought to the Oireachtas this year.

    More recently, Varadkar expressed concern about the effect of the law as it stands on freedom of the press - as can be seen in the following article, which is free to read.

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sinn-fein-tds-legal-case-against-newspaper-and-reporter-frightening-and-designed-to-make-journalists-afraid-says-taoiseach/a1248847415.html

    Fine Gael has been part of government since 2011. So why is the government only getting around to commencing work to have defamation law reformed this year? What could be the reason for the lack of political will to have the law changed in the past decade?

    PS: I've put this OP in the Politics forum instead of Legal Discussion because it's about political will to bring change to the law rather than the law as it stands per se.



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    #2
    rock22
    Registered Users Posts: 1,547 ✭✭✭rock22


    You would take Leo Varadkar's judgement on a SF action rather than it go to court?

    Politicians from all parties have sued for defamation. The newspapers defence is the truth of their words. We only have to look at the US to see the damage newspapers and news channels like Fox can get away with when there is unfettered "freedom of expression"



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    #3
    Augme
    Registered Users Posts: 5,140 ✭✭✭Augme


    FG were the most popular party for the last decade. Now they aren't, they need to find ways to try and get back to the top.


    Given the housing, health and crime issues you think FG would be focusing on those rather than a defmation law that no one has a big issue with. If journalists can't tell the truth then I don't see why they should be protected from the consequences of their lies.



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    #4
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,442 ✭✭✭political analyst


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121349634#Comment_121349634

    The change in the law won't lead to anything like what happened in the US.



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    #5
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,442 ✭✭✭political analyst


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121349815#Comment_121349815

    It's not that simple, e.g. Jeffrey Archer, Slab Murphy.



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