Libel laws and campaigning by NGOs
The current laws on libel and privacy threaten NGOs' campaigning work, but recent lobbying efforts by NGOs and advocates for press freedom have brought some proposed improvements.
In order to address the root causes of poverty, injustice and exclusion, NGOs sometimes need to expose cases of corruption, exploitation or other wrongdoing by individuals, corporations, governments or other organisations.
Bringing these cases to public attention plays an important role in raising awareness and holding individuals or organisations to account. It also exerts pressure on them to remedy such abuses, and on the relevant authorities to take any necessary action against them.
NGOs sued for libel
However, the publication of such reports has prompted some of these powerful parties to sue NGOs for abuse of privacy or libel. A number of Bond members have been sued or had threats of legal action made against them.
Even if a judge finds in favour of the NGO's right to publish information, deeming it to be in the public interest, the NGO concerned may still have to incur substantial legal costs running into at least tens of thousands of pounds.
Reform of the law is needed in order to protect the ability of NGos to carry out this essential work.
Reform of defamation law
Bond therefore welcomed the announcement on 9 July 2010 by Justice Minister Lord McNally that defamation law will be reviewed in order to protect free speech and freedom of expression. The Ministry of Justice published a draft Defamation Bill on March 2011. A comprehensive summary of the responses received to the draft Defamation Bill 2011 consultation is available here.
The Bill was presented to Parliament on May 2012. Please visit the Parliament website for updates on the progress of the Defamation Bill.
