Comments | aidan_skinner: To Quote Mr Stan Marsh, of the Parish of South Park: Sue Me.

aidan_skinner

To Quote Mr Stan Marsh, of the Parish of South Park: Sue Me.

Oct 13, 2009 00:43

Trafigura knew it was dumping toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, but have (very likely) decided to get an injuction banning the guardian from reporting a Parliamentary Question. Which is, obviously counter productive. - John Smith (there, that oughta show 'em!)

Comments 4

greylock October 13 2009, 00:05:52 UTC

Between the expenses scandals and this... why, it's a wonder the Brown Government hasn't collapsed under weight of its own incompetence.

Can't we just sack the lot of the and put Galloway in charge for a few weeks?

aidan_skinner October 13 2009, 11:01:07 UTC

It's not really anything to do with HM Govt (except for not passing legislation to clarify the law here). This is mostly being done with precedent set by prior Carter-Fuck cases.

greylock October 13 2009, 15:24:34 UTC

Don't you have Parliamentary privilege there or something?
I'll have to go and do some reading.

aidan_skinner October 13 2009, 22:21:56 UTC

Yes, in theory we do. However, a number of libel actions have led to precedent for massive, overarching injunctions which apparently were thought to include Parliamentary Privilege too.

The Guardian were going to go to the High Court to get a ruling today, but Carter-Ruck caved. Presumably because it was all over t'interwebs.

British libel law is in a pretty sorry, pretty scary place right now though. :/