Comments on: Free, or very cheap, speech

By: Observer

Observer — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 20:33:00 +0000

they will often use UK court decisions as forming precedent where available.

Sorry - the last word should have been "appropriate", i.e. if the decision was based on common or directly analogous legislation.

By: Observer

Observer — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 20:28:00 +0000

I suspect that Eire's courts

<Grinds teeth>

I'm not up on the precise details of Irish law on the subject, but I suspect that they would indeed take that viewpoint. The Irish legal system incorporates a lot of common law and pre-1922 legislation anyway, and they will often use UK court decisions as forming precedent where available.

By: Squander Two

Squander Two — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 17:07:00 +0000

Oops. Yes, good point. Sorry.

I suspect that Eire's courts will take the same attitude as the UK's, but that's based on pessimism rather than precedent.

By: Observer

Observer — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:32:00 +0000

Humphreys is wrong if he thinks moving to a US server is any help. I believe it's already been made clear by the government that writing in the UK means you're covered by the UK's laws, regardless of where the server is held.

Humphrys is writing in Ireland rather than the UK.

By: Squander Two

Squander Two — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 05:39:00 +0000

The US does have far freer speech than the UK and Europe. The fact that most of their media choose not to exercise their rights is interesting and unfortunate. I have no idea what RSF were reporting on, but, if they were just looking at the mainstream media in the US, they'd be right to say that US reporters don't behave as if they have freedom of speech. But it's self-censorship, not government censorship, and they'd be wrong not to mention that. Where the First Amendment and the UK's libel laws really come into their own is when applied to the speech of individuals, not the media.

Humphreys is wrong if he thinks moving to a US server is any help. I believe it's already been made clear by the government that writing in the UK means you're covered by the UK's laws, regardless of where the server is held.

By: john b

john b — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 04:15:00 +0000

MP: Oops. I guess I need that re-education camp.

TB: No; while obviously the US has supermarket tabloids, the combination of tabloid-shock-horror and serious investigative reporting on non-celebrity subjects in the UK tabloid press is rather different.

By: European Loser

European Loser — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 03:50:00 +0000

"I am too nervous to have this website in Europe."

It's perfectly safe as long as you use enough tin foil.

By: Timbeaux

Timbeaux — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 23:33:00 +0000

They have their equivalent, it’s just that no one takes them nearly as seriously.

By: Mad Pedant

Mad Pedant — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 22:23:00 +0000

Don’t you mean the First Amendment, the one with the clause about free speech? (The Fifth is the one about not incriminating yourself.)