`LONG overdue' libel law reform in Northern Ireland and press freedom will be discussed by prominent editors, lawyers and politicians next month.
`Northern Ireland: A Place Apart?' is a free debate as part of Society of Editors Virtual Conference for 2020 on Tuesday December 1 2020 bringing together journalists and press freedom advocates to discuss efforts to bring in "meaningful libel reform" and paramilitary threats to journalists, media plurality and privacy injunctions.
Chaired by the Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph deputy editor-in-chief Martin Breen, it will also hear from Noel Doran, editor of the Irish News, Sam McBride, political editor of the News Letter, Mike Nesbitt, UUP assembly member and Fergal McGoldrick, specialist media litigation solicitor at Carson McDowell.
Ian Murray, executive director of the Society said "concerted efforts have been made to ensure" Northern Ireland has meaningful libel law reform similar to the Defamation Act 2013 in England and Wales.
He said the north is facing "vexatious use of privacy injunctions to try to stifle legitimate reporting" and "online abuse and paramilitary threats (to journalists) just for doing their job".
"With Northern Ireland's Justice Minister promising action on this issue, we look forward to hearing what can be done to end this intimidation, more than 25 years since the first paramilitary ceasefires."
It is free to register here: crowdcast.io/e/5jcqc7pa/register.
