Comments on: Trafigura’s BBC victory fuels libel reform calls

By: BBC caves in to lawyers « Shepherd’s Bush

BBC caves in to lawyers « Shepherd’s Bush — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:56:12 +0000

[...] 19 December UPDATE: With thanks to readers who have sent me the text of a statement the BBC made in Open Court regarding this case, which you can find here with commentary from the Liberal Conspiracy blog here. [...]

By: sly and reggie

sly and reggie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:31:41 +0000

Pagar
If you had the money behind you, you could sue me over anything you want and it would still cost me about £50,000 even if I won the case.
Newsnight did not mess up, its just they got bullied and out gunned.
It costs huge amounts of money to prove anything in the courts and that is why we need libel reform.
If music makes a difference…try this libel reform campaign track by Sly and Reggie

http://bit.ly/7dDFlk

By: pagar

pagar — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:52:29 +0000

@ 6 This meant it was Newsnight who would have to ‘prove’ it in court.

Sorry to stick on this but if they couldn’t prove it they shouldn’t have alleged it on national television. They need to give us information they can demonstrate to be true.

By not defending the action, they are admitting that they messed up and they should sack whatever lawyer cleared it for transmission.

By: Paulo

Paulo — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:05:29 +0000

Well, if the BBC is inclined to roll over and hand out wadges of cash to the Muslim Council of Britain, why is anyone surprised?

By: sly and reggie

sly and reggie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:59:07 +0000

How much does it cost to prove what you think is true?
Well in Newsnight’s case it would have cost them 3 million quid.
The reason they could not ‘prove’ that people have died is because the 30,000 who successfully sued Trafigura decided to settle with a ‘no deaths’ deal. This meant it was Newsnight who would have to ‘prove’ it in court.
The truth, according to Carter Ruck is a lie unless you have the money to prove otherwise in court. Thats the state of the libel law at the moment.

http://middleclassmayhem.wordpress.com/

By: pagar

pagar — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:32:33 +0000

Please tell me what I’m missing here.

The BBC therefore acknowledges that the evidence does not establish that Trafigura’s “slops” caused any deaths, miscarriages or serious or long-term injuries. Accordingly, the BBC has withdrawn those allegations and has agreed to broadcast an appropriate apology on Newsnight

This is not a case where libel law is being used to conceal truth by railroading an individual who has not got the wherewithall to defend a court case. It has to be assumed that the BBC withdrew the allegations and apologised because they could not prove that the allegations were true.

I understand the antipathy towards large oil corporations poisoning innocents by dumping toxic waste but this is not like the super injunction case. The BBC cannot be allowed to broadcast lies without the opportunity for correction.

By: Mark Stephens

Mark Stephens — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:23:45 +0000

Liberal Conspiracy » Trafigura victory over BBC fuels libel reform calls http://bit.ly/8i0VWx

By: lynda murphy

lynda murphy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:53:19 +0000

It’s absolutely appalling that Carter Ruck has beaten the B.B.C. , what in God’s name is happening to our rights to Freedom of Expression . It is now time to reform the libel law things are getting out of hand . The BBC is our national treasure . Why have they had to bow down to Carter Ruck , it’s becoming very scary when there are gags to prevent the truth from being broadcasted to the
population . Big Brother ( Carter Ruck) needs gagging before our human rights are eroded .

By: Jonn

Jonn — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:47:56 +0000

We should have a whip round, get Probo Koala to deliver some toxic waste to Carter Ruck’s offices. Then tell them there’s no direct link to that light headed feeling they’re getting.

By: Left Outside

Left Outside — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:40:17 +0000

What he said.

By: Joana Morais

Joana Morais — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:00:48 +0000

RT @gaemar01 #Trafigura victory over #BBC fuels #libelreform calls > http://bit.ly/58fioD < #freepress via @dnotice #CarterRuck #NewsNight

By: Left Not Liberal

Left Not Liberal — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:27:36 +0000

Evil, evil, fucking cunts.

By: Varsha

Varsha — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:01:55 +0000

Liberal Conspiracy » Trafigura's BBC victory fuels libel reform calls: A victory for Carter-Ruck and Trafig.. http://bit.ly/6xfSol

By: Gael Marks

Gael Marks — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:11:25 +0000

#Trafigura victory over #BBC fuels #libelreform calls > http://bit.ly/58fioD < #freepress via @dnotice #CarterRuck #NewsNight

By: andrew

andrew — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:59:46 +0000

Liberal Conspiracy » Trafigura's BBC victory fuels libel reform calls: Liberal Conspiracy » Trafigura victory ove… http://bit.ly/7yumGh

By: Gareth Winchester

Gareth Winchester — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:25:28 +0000

RT @libcon #Trafigura victory over #BBC fuels #libelreform calls http://bit.ly/58fioD #carterruck #media

By: thabet

thabet — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:05:55 +0000

RT @libcon: #Trafigura victory over BBC fuels libel reform calls http://bit.ly/8i0VWx

By: David O'Keefe

David O'Keefe — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:38:39 +0000

Liberal Conspiracy » Trafigura victory over BBC fuels libel reform calls http://bit.ly/8i0VWx

By: Roger Stockwell

Roger Stockwell — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:34:27 +0000

RT @dollydimpleldn: Un-fucking-believable. RT @libcon Trafigura victory over BBC fuels libel reform calls http://bit.ly/8i0VWx

By: Bella

Bella — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:44:27 +0000

RT @libcon: :: Trafigura victory over BBC fuels libel reform calls http://bit.ly/8i0VWx

By: Liberal Conspiracy

Liberal Conspiracy — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:05:21 +0000

:: Trafigura victory over BBC fuels libel reform calls http://bit.ly/8i0VWx