COLONIAL LIBEL LAW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 7

COLONIAL LIBEL LAW.

ITS INJUSTICE. PREiVIIER WADE PROMISES A REMEDY! BY TELEGIUPII—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPITHGIIT. (Rbc. Oct.'2o, 5 p.m.) ■ ■ I ■ ' . Sydney, October 19. Tho. first annual convention of thd Australian Press Association concluded to-day with a gathering of 300 journalists." Among tho guests were tho Stato Promior, the Hon. U. (i. Wade, tho Hon. J. A. Hoguo, Minister for Public Insiruotion, and Mr. Hounikor Heaton, tho English M.P.. of penny postage fame ■.'•') ■•■ A MARKED DISABILITY. It was tho Premier's first, public function, ' and ho marked it by promising an early

altteratiou of tho libel law. Ho said that as a practitioner in tho Courts of the State, he had been struck with the' marked disability which tho whole Pross sufForcd, owinj' to tho present state of tho law. Ho hacl heard judges point to tho. unfairness 'of tho conditions in this matter. A man,might in nil good faith insert in his paper obtained perhaps from a public meetiug, which brought him within the Defamation Act, with tho result that matters of .public inter-" 1 est were printed at tho risk and expense of tho oditor.' / i i PROTECTION FOR BOTH SIDES. Side by side with this camo attacks by peoplo who had no character and nothing to loso, who attacked a nowspapor against which they had some grudge. Such a condition' of affairs did not occur in Great Britain, and an alteration of tho local law 3 should bo required in i justice and to keep iibroast of tho'times. ' Whilo thoy provided against tho Press becoming tho victims of unscrupulous persons, i tho public wore) also entitled to protection ] from thoso who had power to spread slanders i broadcast. A limit must bo laid down, and 3 no' man would bo allowed liconso with rej gard to falsehoods. CENSORSHIP.

Early noxt yoar tho Govornmont programmo would contaiu a ineusuro to give tho Press tho necessary roliof. As to censorship of tho Press, it .was not nocdod. Tho host con- . Borship of tho Pross was their own good taste. Soonor or lator thoso papers which abused thoir priviloges by limiting unfair comments or drawing unreasonable) doduc- . tions would bo rologated to tho position of . papers which published articles 'that could o not bo relied upon.