The Te Puke Times FRIDAY, AUGUST 1 LIBEL LAW.

Te Puke Times, Volume II, Issue II, 1 August 1913, Page 2

The Te Puke Times FRIDAY, AUGUST 1 LIBEL LAW.

The Defamation Bill, which was brought down in Parliament by the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Attor-ney-General, last week, makes important amendments to the law of libel, which will have the effect of giving the Press of this country greater freedom than it enjoys at the present time in dealing with matters of public concern.. The Bill brings .the New Zealand law of libel practically into line with. the English law, and also embodies the recommendations of a conference on the same subject held in England about two years ago. Under the Bill, which codifies, as well as amends the existing law, it is made lawful to publish in good faith for the information of the public a fair and accurate report of the proceedings of Parliament or any Parliamentary Committee; a copy of or abstract from any Parliamentary paper; a fair and accurate report of the public proceedings of any Court of Justice; a fair and accurate report of the proceedings of any statutory enquiry or of an official report of such an enquiry ; a fair and accurate report of the proceedings of the Executive, or of any department or officer thereof; a fair and accurate report of the proceedings of any local body or of a committee thereof, so far as the report relates to matters of public concern, and the publication thereof is for the public benefit; a fair and accurate report of the proceedings of any public meeting so far as the matter published relates to matters of public concern. "Publicmeeting " is defined as a meeting lawfully held for a lawful purpose, and for the bona fide furtherance or discussion of a matter of public concern, or for the advocacy of the candidature of any person for a public office, whether the admission to the meeting was general or restricted. A publication is said to bo made in good faith for the information of the public if the person by whom it is made is not actuated in making it by ill-will to the person defamed, or by any other improper motive, and if the manner of. the publication is such as is ordinarily and fairly used in the case of the publication of news or information. Publication by way of fair comment is lawful respecting (a) matters which may be contained in a fair report; (b) the public conduct of any person who takes part in public affairs, or respecting the character oj such person, so far as his character appears in that conduct ; (c) the conduct of any public officer or public servant in the discharge of his public functions, or respecting the character of any such person so far as his character appears in that conduct: (d) the merits of any case, civil or criminal, that has been decided by any Court of justice, or respecting the conduct

of any person as a Judge, party, witness, counsel, solicitor, of officer of the Court in any such case, or respecting the character of any such person so far as his character appears in such conduct ; (e)Jany published book or the character of the author so far as his character appears by that book ; (f)- any composition or work of art or performance publicly exhibited ; (g) any public entertainment or sports, or the character of any person conducting or taking part therein so far as his character appears 1 from the matter of the entertainment or sports, or the manner of conducting them ; (hj any communication made to the public on any subject. Whether a comment is oris not fair is a question of fact. If it is not fair, and is defamatory, the publication of it is unlawful. It is lawful to pablish defamatory atory matter if the matter is true, and it is for the public benefit that the publication should be made.