Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1901. THE LAW OF LIBEL.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 October 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1901. THE LAW OF LIBEL.

Thr libel law of New Zealand is generally admitted to be out of date, and is far behind the law in Britain. Yet Parliament after Parliament has refused any reform. Individual members have introduced amending measures, but they have never succeeded in getting beyond their first stages. And it was not because members deemed these measures unnecessary, but because of the personal hostility of a few representatives whose shortcomings have been recorded in public print, and who in consequence take this means of revenging themselves. It is rather a paltry way of performing their public duties, but then one cannot expect aught else from some representatives. Strange to say, a very similar state of affairs exists in New South Wales, and the Premier acknowledged the fact on Wednesday, when he gave as a reason for the hitherto persistent refusal of Parliament to '.amend the Libel Law, while recognising the need of the amendment that it was because newspapers did not deal too tenderly with members, Want of tenderness lay in reporting those scenes which unfortunately occurred in Parliament, which members afterwards regretted. In other words, members evidently hold the opinion that they should, in Parliament, be allowed to misconduct themselves without the fact being made known to their constituents; and because newspapers will not adopt this course, they are not provided with fair laws for their protection. In this colony an amendment will ere long force itself upon Parliament, for, as the law now stands, a conviction for criminal libel is almost impossible, and it is the easiest thing imaginable for a man, possessing no property, to hire or borrow a printing press and publish the vilest libels without the law being able to punish.