The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette Published Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1896. THE DEFAMATION BILL.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 65, 14 September 1896, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette Published Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1896. THE DEFAMATION BILL.

After giving some particulars of the provisions of the above named meas ure, which will soon become law, out contemporary, the Post, says : — " It may be argued that this Defamation Bill is one which interests the Fourth Estate only. Let us take it at that, and ask in reply, whom does tbe Fourth Estate interest ? Is it not io> the public good that reports of meet ings should be published without the fear of libel resting on the paper that publishes the matter in good faith ? Is it not more satisfacory to the public generally that they should know how far a paper can go, and how far any individual may go, than to have an ill-defined Judge made law governing all public utterances and writings 1 Is it not satisfactory to know that no protection is given to those who abuse their privilege, whether on the platform or through the press? The colony owes a debt of gratitude to tbe Hon. John Ballance for having left such a legacy as the Defamation Bill. It IS not a travesty, such as the Libel Bill introduced by tbe Minister for Lands two sessions ago ; it does not go as far as we would like to see it go ; but at any rate it is a condification of the law respectiug defamation, which is a thing to be desired, and the making of a code on such a subject is a matter of very great difficulty. For those reasons we thank the Hon. Mr Feldwick for looking after journalistic interests, and the Statutes Revision Committee for the improvements it made on the Bill as originally brought down." We cordially agree with the sentiments expressed by our esteemed contemporary.