From the the Libel Reform campaign:
"The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, will today speak at a mass lobby of Parliament organised by The Libel Reform Campaign led by English PEN, Index on Censorship and Sense About Science.
"At the lobby, he will announce a historic commitment to reform England’s archaic libel laws, after a national campaign that has galvanised 43,000 supporters and persuaded 260 MPs to sign a Parliamentary Early Day Motion and its rider.
"The mass lobby of Parliament will be held TODAY in Committee Room 15 between 2 – 3pm.
"The campaign has already secured the backing of the Liberal Democrats, and with Labour’s commitment to the campaign and the majority of eligible MPs now signed up to EDM 423, campaigners believe libel reform is firmly on the agenda.
"John Kampfner, the CEO of Index on Censorship said:
"“The Labour Party will show a commitment to actual reform to enhance civil liberties in this country. With two of the three major political parties now committed to reform, we ask David Cameron to back our campaign.”
"Tracey Brown, the Managing Director of Sense About Science said:
"“It would be ludicrous for any party to suggest we should continue with these unfair and ridiculed libel laws. We need freedom of speech that we can exercise confidently, to discuss science and medicine or any other subject of public interest. Not semi-feudal laws that tie people up in court for two years and chill public discussion.”
"Jonathan Heawood, the Director of English PEN said:
"“Over 40,000 people have signed the libel reform petition. The level of popular support for reform shows that this law is not just about journalists but human rights activists, scientists and academics, even mothers chatting online: free expression really is an issue for everyone.”"
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Tuesday, 23 March 2010
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While we would welcome the support of Beelzebub and all his legions of devils we might choose to sup with long spoons.
Let us hope that Jack Straw has had a spectacular damascene conversion to the very same woolly minded liberal values he had until now spent his career sneering at and deliberately attacking.
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