Editor’s blog Tuesday 13 October 2009: Freedom of the press to report Parliament

Private Eye is one of the most free bits of the free press. Regular readers of that esteemed organ will have had little difficulty decoding the article on today’s Guardian about the latest work of Carter-Ruck solicitors.

You don’t need to loook veryfaronline to find out what this story is about.

The UK’s libel laws are, to put it mildly, generous to claimants. UK libel awards are often ludicrously so. However, the worrying trend of pre-publication injunctions - often triggered when the individual or organisation in question is approached by the reporter for a comment, as is good practice – is distorting the balance even further against the presumption of the public interest.

Good luck to The Guardian to overturn this considerably stupid and dangerous trend. Lawyers cost money, so buy a copy of their paper today, please.

The illegal and the indefensible triumph when we can no longer find out about it.

UPDATE -All change! The penny has dropped at Carter-Ruck. But the overall issue hasn't gone away.