The Law of Libel

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 22, 3 August 1886, Page 4

The Law of Libel

_ji bill to amend tbe law of libel has^ b#f ij wdA,,fir«t time m th» Victorian AH&niflj. K lna recenVjudgment of jthe Ffil&^flUll it,W»s l»id down tbat ; the re-Bsrfo«^ilrlß«eki-ttg iftt not privileged, and that thftijpublUher of a newspaper tin which any sach report appeared was re* 'at law if any, of the ■tate'mfents • libellous. The - amend-itfr-biUfiroVideß that any report published ia'an^r newspaper of the proceedings of a jftiblie meetine (or of the meeting of the mimberf of anj public inttitatidn) shall pVi^leged if »ucb meetiajt was lawfully oonrened for a lawful purp««e *nd op>a tpjhejpreas l _and.if.sueh 'report was fair s^r accurate* and published without tnj>Ujß»» i^nd if the publicatipn of the mi»tteV eoinijUined of was far the. public bjmefit. nProridad always, that the prot£gti*n .intended to .be afforded, by this aec^Qnlahfili not be available-as a defence i^-.anjyjpwHreeding, , if the plaintiff' ■•■ or. . prosecutor, can show that .the > defen.4#at, ,;has refuted to insert. ..in., the, newspaper in which the report containing: the matter complained of appeared a T&Lt on^ble letter . or statement of explana^on^qr contradiction by, or on beh*lf of such plaintiff or prosecutor. The bill alao provides that if the damages against fthe publisher do not exceed It the plainW.mnst pay defendant's costs, and if do not exceed 20s plaintiff shall pay his owil v costs. An action may ( be maintitj&eii'by a female,, whother married . or ■ingle,' to ' r ecover d/amages for works •itoken after the passing of the 1 act and imputing unchantity to her, and it shall V>t beineceKsary to allege or prove special damage* in order to maintain such action.