Tag Archives: anthony lester

Lord McNally writes… Liberal Democrats can be proud of the Defamation Bill

By Lord Tom McNally | Tue 23rd April 2013 - 8:50 am

Yesterday I published a new government amendment to the Defamation Bill which will strengthen the “serious harm” test already in the bill to make it more difficult for corporations to sue for libel. This new amendment makes it clear that a body trading for profit will only satisfy the serious harm test if it is able to show that the statement complained of has caused or is likely to case the body serious financial loss. This is almost identical to the original clause Anthony Lester proposed in his private members bill. This will make it clear that bodies trading for …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged defamation bill, libel reform and nick clegg | 6 Comments

Lord Anthony Lester writes: Free speech is the lifeblood of democracy

By Lord Anthony Lester | Mon 22nd April 2013 - 6:58 pm

When I began drafting my private member’s bill to reform the law of libel in early 2010, with the help of the Libel Reform Campaign, the Lib Dems were the only party committed to reform, having grasped the chilling effect on free speech caused by the vagueness and uncertainty of the law, and the extortionate legal costs which accompany it.

By the time of the election that year, successful campaigning meant that all three main parties included libel reform in their manifesto commitments.

A pledge to reform libel law to better protect freedom of expression was included in the coalition agreement, and …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged libel reform | 5 Comments

Next week in the Lords: 8-11 January

By Mark Valladares | Fri 4th January 2013 - 5:51 pm

Whilst rumours of a list of new Peers swirls around the Palace of Westminster, the Lords returns to work on Tuesday, and a somewhat lop-sided week continues through to Friday in order to fit in the postponed debate on Leveson.

Never let it be said though that the Lords needs a gentle warm-up before asking the difficult questions. Tuesday sees oral questions on airport capacity in London, housebuilding in South East England and the effect of the ‘fiscal cliff’ solution on the UK economy, before the Growth and Infrastructure …

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged diversity, nick clegg, pensions and public sector | 1 Comment

LibLink: Anthony Lester – My vision of a Leveson law

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 12th December 2012 - 4:35 pm

Liberal Democrat peer Anthony Lester has written for the Guardian about his independent Press Council bill which he introduced in the House of Lords yesterday.

If his measure became law, it would be the Supreme Court rather than OFCOM which would ensure that the independent self regulatory body was genuinely independent and complying with the principles Lord Leveson set out in his report.

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged featured, guardian, house of lords and leveson | 1 Comment

Lord Alderdice writes… Improving the Justice and Security Bill

By John Alderdice | Thu 22nd November 2012 - 12:53 pm

Last night the House of Lords debated and voted on the Justice and Security Bill at its Report stage. I know from reading Lib Dem Voice and from listening to the recent debate at Conference what a touchstone issue this Bill is for many members. Which is why I want to explain how the Bill, which we have now passed to the Commons, is a very different beast from that originally under consideration.

Some of you will have seen that the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) produced a unanimous report last week. We have two eminent Liberal …

Posted in Parliament | Also tagged joint committee on human rights, justice and security bill, nick clegg and simon hughes | 7 Comments

Next week in the Lords: 15-18 October

By Mark Valladares | Fri 12th October 2012 - 10:52 am

It looks as though this column may be going down in flames, now that the Lords have appointed a new Media & PR Officer, but until we do…

Days 7 and 8 of the Committee Stage of the Financial Services Bill dominate the week. And, as I still don’t understand it, I’m going to see if I can get an explanation. Watch, hopefully, this space… However, Amendment 197, to be moved by Lord Flight, requires banks to transfer accounts to a new institution, if requested, within ten working …

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged bill bradshaw, claire tyler, Danny Alexander, derek ezra, house of lords, Jo Swinson, kishwer falkner, robin teverson and sally hamwee | Leave a comment

Social mobility: is the Coalition doing enough to encourage it?

Stephen Tall asks: "Did Nate Silver write in vain?"

Nick Clegg: "Of course the EU has to change"

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Tag Archives: anthony lester

Lord McNally writes… Liberal Democrats can be proud of the Defamation Bill

Lord Anthony Lester writes: Free speech is the lifeblood of democracy

Next week in the Lords: 8-11 January

LibLink: Anthony Lester – My vision of a Leveson law

Lord Alderdice writes… Improving the Justice and Security Bill

Next week in the Lords: 15-18 October

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Social mobility: is the Coalition doing enough to encourage it?

Stephen Tall asks: "Did Nate Silver write in vain?"

Nick Clegg: "Of course the EU has to change"

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Tag Archives: anthony lester

Lord McNally writes… Liberal Democrats can be proud of the Defamation Bill

Lord Anthony Lester writes: Free speech is the lifeblood of democracy

Next week in the Lords: 8-11 January

LibLink: Anthony Lester – My vision of a Leveson law

Lord Alderdice writes… Improving the Justice and Security Bill

Next week in the Lords: 15-18 October

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