Articles - United Kingdom
9 May 2012
United Kingdom
Queen announces major libel reform bill
Thanks largely to Index on Censorship's libel reform campaign, the government will introduce a law "to protect freedom of speech and reform the law of defamation" in the next parliament.
11 April 2012
United Kingdom
Proposed snooping law: What you need to know
IFEX's guide to the government's plan to introduce more monitoring of people's emails, phone calls and web usage in the U.K. - and what it means for free expression.
28 September 2011
United Kingdom
Police drop attempt to use Official Secrets Act against journalist in phone hacking scandal
After threatening to use the retrograde Official Secrets Act to force a "Guardian" journalist to reveal her sources in the phone hacking scandal, the Metropolitan Police is holding a closed-door meeting with members of parliament to explain the move, report Index on Censorship and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
17 August 2011
United Kingdom
Prime Minister considers banning social media, interferes with journalists' editorial independence
On the heels of riots in England this month, Prime Minister David Cameron's government is looking at banning the use of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook in order to stop suspected rioters from sharing online messages to foment violence. Cameron has also called on broadcasters to hand over unused footage of the riots to police. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warn that censorship does not prevent social unrest, and that sharing personal data with police is a disturbing precedent.
13 July 2011
United Kingdom
IFEX members weigh in on fallout of phone hacking scandal
Last week, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron announced not one but two inquiries into the phone hacking scandal. While IFEX members Index on Censorship, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI) welcomed the inquiries, they warn that the fallout from the scandal raises wider questions about media ethics, press regulations and the relationship between politicians and journalists.
12 January 2011
United Kingdom
Government vows to reform "laughing stock" libel law
The U.K.'s coalition government has promised sweeping changes to England's much-criticised libel laws, paying tribute to Index on Censorship's libel reform campaign which has "led the debate on this issue for so long."
20 January 2010
United Kingdom
Libel law reform needed
Libel law in the United Kingdom has been used to protect the wealthy and powerful from criticism as the "high costs involved and the scale of damages have chilled free speech," says a recent report by English PEN and Index on Censorship. The cost of libel action in England and Wales is 140 times higher than the European average.
15 July 2009
United Kingdom
Sedition law to be scrapped, finally
After years of lobbying the UK government to remove repressive defamation and sedition laws from the books, it appears ARTICLE 19's campaigning has paid off.
20 February 2009
United Kingdom
DES PHOTOGRAPHES PROTESTENT CONTRE UNE NOUVELLE LOI ANTITERRORISTE
20 February 2009
United Kingdom
FOTÓGRAFOS PROTESTAN POR NUEVA LEY ANTITERRORISMO
18 February 2009
United Kingdom
PHOTOGRAPHERS PROTEST NEW ANTI-TERROR LAW
Hundreds of photographers descended on New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the British Metropolitan Police, in London on 16 February to protest against an amendment to the Counter-Terrorism Act that could criminalise anyone taking a photograph of a police officer, report the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the regional arm of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and news reports.
29 August 2008
United Kingdom
LIBRE EXPRESIÓN RESTRINGIDA, ENCUENTRA COMITÉ DE ONU
29 August 2008
United Kingdom
LA LIBRE EXPRESSION EST SOUMISE À DES CONTRAINTES, CONSTATE UN COMITÉ DES NATIONS UNIES
28 August 2008
United Kingdom
FREE EXPRESSION CONSTRAINED, UN COMMITTEE FINDS
The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) has criticised Britain's 2006 Terrorism Act and other laws and practices as unduly restricting freedom of expression, says ARTICLE 19 in an August report. In its sixth periodic report on the United Kingdom, released in July, the committee said the Terrorism Act's definition of the "encouragement of terrorism" offence was "broad and vague," including no requirement of intent for the offence to be committed.
22 April 2008
United Kingdom
TESCO CONTINUES SPREE OF LIBEL SUITS
One of Thailand's retail giants has filed an exorbitant defamation suit against a business journalist, the latest in a string of lawsuits by private companies to intimidate their critics and the press in general, say the Thai Journalists Association (TJA), the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and ARTICLE 19.
14 March 2008
United Kingdom
ARTICLE 19 ELOGIA VOTO PARA REVOCAR BLASFEMIA
14 March 2008
United Kingdom
ARTICLE 19 SE RÉJOUIT DU VOTE QUI ABOLIT LE BLASPHÈME
11 March 2008
United Kingdom
ARTICLE 19 COMMENDS VOTE TO REPEAL BLASPHEMY
In an historic break with tradition, the U.K. House of Lords has voted to abolish laws that make it a crime to commit blasphemy against Christianity, report ARTICLE 19 and news reports.
10 August 2007
United Kingdom
PERIODISTA GANA LUCHA POR PROTEGER FUENTE
10 August 2007
United Kingdom
UN JOURNALISTE GAGNE SA BATAILLE POUR PRÉSERVER UNE SOURCE
7 August 2007
United Kingdom
JOURNALIST WINS FIGHT TO PROTECT SOURCE
A freelance journalist's marathon legal fight to protect a confidential source has finally ended in victory, reports the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
6 July 2007
United Kingdom
NUEVO PREMIER DEBERÁ HACER MÁS PARA PROTEGER LA LIBERTAD DE PALABRA
6 July 2007
United Kingdom
LE NOUVEAU PREMIER MINISTRE DOIT FAIRE PLUS POUR PROTÉGER LA LIBERTÉ DE PAROLE
3 July 2007
United Kingdom
NEW PM SHOULD DO MORE TO PROTECT FREE SPEECH
Free expression groups in the U.K. are demanding that newly crowned Prime Minister Gordon Brown protects whistleblowers, respects the right to protest and scraps proposals to restrict the Freedom of Information Act - and ultimately does a better job than outgoing Tony Blair in defending free speech.
7 February 2007
United Kingdom
LA LOI D'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION EST MENACÉE
7 February 2007
United Kingdom
LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN AMENAZADA
31 January 2007
United Kingdom
ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT UNDER THREAT
Barely two years after the United Kingdom enacted a Freedom of Information Act guaranteeing citizens the right to access government-held information, the legislation is under serious attack, warn ARTICLE 19, Index on Censorship and the International Press Institute (IPI).
8 November 2006
United Kingdom
FALLO HISTÓRICO PROTEGE A MEDIDOS DE DEMANDAS POR CALUMNIA
6 October 2006
United Kingdom
DES JOURNALISTES REÇOIVENT DES MENACES DE MORT
6 October 2006
United Kingdom
PERIODISTAS SE ENFRENTAN A AMENAZAS DE MUERTE
4 October 2006
United Kingdom
JOURNALISTS FACE DEATH THREATS
Five years after investigative reporter Martin O'Hagan was gunned down in Northern Ireland, his killers remain at large and threats of violence against journalists have quadrupled, a new report by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) has found.
11 August 2006
United Kingdom
FILMACIÓN DE NOVELA PROVOCA PROTESTA COMUNITARIA
11 August 2006
United Kingdom
CERTAINES PRODUCTIONS CULTURELLES PROVOQUENT DES PROTESTATIONS DANS CERTAINES COMMUNAUTÉS
9 August 2006
United Kingdom
FILMING OF NOVEL PROVOKES COMMUNITY PROTEST
Protests by community groups in the United Kingdom against cultural productions deemed offensive or insulting are raising questions over whether the freedom to write or express art is being compromised in the name of cultural sensitivity, reports Index on Censorship.
30 November 2005
United Kingdom
MEDIA GAGGED OVER AL-JAZEERA MEMO
The leaking of an alleged memo revealing U.S. President George W. Bush's apparent plan to bomb the Qatar headquarters of Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera has ignited a storm of controversy and raised concerns among IFEX members about a possible backlash on the media.
6 October 2005
United Kingdom
LES MESURES ANTITERRORISTES CONTREVIENNENT AUX NORMES INTERNATIONALES EN MATIÈRE DE DROITS
5 October 2005
United Kingdom
MEDIDAS ANTITERRORISMO VIOLAN NORMAS JURÍDICAS INTERNACIONALES
29 July 2005
United Kingdom
PROYECTO DE LEY CONTRA ODIO RELIGIOSO ATRAE POLÉMICA
29 July 2005
United Kingdom
LA PROPOSITION DE LOI SUR LA HAINE RELIGIEUSE SUSCITE LA CONTROVERSE
27 July 2005
United Kingdom
PROPOSED RELIGIOUS HATE LAW DRAWS CONTROVERSY
Britain's plan to introduce tougher laws criminalising religious-inspired hatred is being challenged in a forthcoming book published by English PEN.
26 February 2005
United Kingdom
LA COUR EUROPÉENNE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME DONNE RAISON À DEUX PERSONNES POURSUIVIES EN DIFFAMATION PAR MCDONALD'S
25 February 2005
United Kingdom
TRIBUNAL EUROPEO VINDICA A PAREJA DE JUICIO POR MCDIFAMACIÓN
23 February 2005
United Kingdom
EUROPEAN COURT VINDICATES MCLIBEL PAIR
In what ARTICLE 19 is calling a groundbreaking judgment, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that a libel trial launched by McDonalds against two environmental activists in the 1990s was unfair and violated their right to freedom of expression.
16 October 2004
United Kingdom
LE FBI ORDONNE UN RAID CONTRE LES SERVEURS D'INDYMEDIA
15 October 2004
United Kingdom
FBI ORDENA OPERATIVO CONTRA SERVIDORES DE INDYMEDIA
13 October 2004
United Kingdom
FBI ORDERS RAID ON INDYMEDIA SERVERS
Free expression advocates are calling on authorities in Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom to explain why police in London have confiscated two Internet servers used by Indymedia, the alternative independent news service.
9 August 2004
United Kingdom
LES LOIS SUR LA DIFFAMATION JETTENT UN FROID SUR LES
6 August 2004
United Kingdom
LEYES DE DIFAMACIÓN LANZAN ONDA GÉLIDA SOBRE EDITORES
3 August 2004
United Kingdom
LIBEL LAWS CAST CHILL OVER PUBLISHERS
London is known as the "libel capital of the world," a haven for rich and powerful claimants from other countries who are using the courts to stifle scrutiny of their dealings, reports "Index on Censorship" magazine. With financial factors increasingly determining whether publishers choose to defend their writers in English courts, there are fears that the country's libel laws are casting a chill over freedom of expression.
4 April 2000
United Kingdom
LEYES NUEVAS Y VIEJAS AMENAZAN LIBRE EXPRESIÓN
4 April 2000
United Kingdom
D?ANCIENNES ET DE NOUVELLES LOIS MENACENT LA LIBRE EXPRESSION
4 April 2000
United Kingdom
OLD AND NEW LAWS THREATEN FREE EXPRESSION
The United Kingdom's Freedom of Information Bill, which goes before the House of Commons on 4 and 5 April, still contains some areas of concern for free expression, says ARTICLE 19. While the bill has undergone some positive amendments with respect to public interest disclosures, it still fails to meet international standards and best practice in this area. The bill extends the powers of the Information Commissioner, however, it also stipulates an "excessively broad regime of exemptions," which enables government officials to veto the Commissioner's decisions and to define what constitutes public interest. Moreover, according to ARTICLE 19, "several exemptions are not subject to any form of public interest override." In addition, the bill will be subject to "any secrecy, or other laws which may preclude disclosure."
29 June 1999
United Kingdom
LEY DE LIBERTAD DE INFORMACIÓN NO ES SUFICIENTEMENTE ABIERTA
29 June 1999
United Kingdom
LE PROJET DE LOI SUR LA LIBERTÉ D?INFORMATION N?EST PAS ASSEZ TRANSPARENT
24 June 1999
United Kingdom
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL NOT OPEN ENOUGH
The United Kingdom's new Freedom of Information Bill is not open enough, says a report by ARTICLE 19, published on 22 June. The Report, "The Public's Right to Know: Principles on Freedom of Information Legislation", provides "a set of international and comparative standards on access to information held by public bodies." Andrew Puddephatt, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, said, "The strength of the public's right to know is a good indication of the health of a democracy. International comparison shows that this Bill is overbroad and overcautious. It is even less progressive than draft freedom of information laws recently published by emerging democracies such as Moldova and Bulgaria. It includes broader exemptions than laws which have been operating successfully for almost 20 years in countries like Canada, New Zealand and Australia." The UK government purports that the Bill is "a radical measure containing clear and robust access rights for those requesting information and a strong enforcement regime," says ARTICLE 19.
6 April 1999
United Kingdom
INFORMAR ACERCA DE IRLANDA DEL NORTE ES PELIGROSO, DICE INDEX
6 April 1999
United Kingdom
REPORTING ON NORTHERN IRELAND DANGEROUS, SAYS INDEX
It can be dangerous to report on Northern Ireland, say two articles in the latest "INDEX on Censorship" (Vol. 2, 1999). John O'Farrell writes about the recent murder of Eamon Collins, a Irish Republican Army (IRA) informant and author who wrote about his experiences as a member of the IRA. Collins wrote "Killing Rage", published in 1997 by Granta, which "INDEX" says caused "storms of controversy... among republicans who objected to his portrayal of the 'struggle' as nasty, brutish and, occasionally, drunk." Some politicians and members of the public were outraged that Collins profited from his book, considering his connection to violence and murder. Collins was supposed to give evidence in a libel case against the "Sunday Times" around the time of his murder, another reason someone might want him dead, says "INDEX".">http://www.indexoncensorship.org">"INDEX on Censorship" (Vol. 2, 1999). John O'Farrell writes about the recent murder of Eamon Collins, a Irish Republican Army (IRA) informant and author who wrote about his experiences as a member of the IRA. Collins wrote "Killing Rage", published in 1997 by Granta, which "INDEX" says caused "storms of controversy... among republicans who objected to his portrayal of the 'struggle' as nasty, brutish and, occasionally, drunk." Some politicians and members of the public were outraged that Collins profited from his book, considering his connection to violence and murder. Collins was supposed to give evidence in a libel case against the "Sunday Times" around the time of his murder, another reason someone might want him dead, says "INDEX".
6 March 1999
United Kingdom
ÉCRIRE SUR L'IRLANDE DU NORD COMPORTE DES DANGERS
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