Defamation and the internet the multiple publication rule

This section is a guide to finding your way around this consultation site and the consultation document.

Where is … this site

The Help section explains how this site works

The start page is Table of Contents

Quickstart you are here

Commentary media coverage of defamation and the internet

What’s in the document

The consultation questions are at Questionnaire section 11

Sections 1-5: summary, introduction, the law on defamation, the multiple publication rule and the current law will provide you with a good grounding in the law.

Sections 6-10 present arguments for and against the choices under consideration

Sections 12-13 includes further impact assessment questions, which will largely concern organisations with experience of defamation action.

Sections 14-16 concern the consultation and how to respond.

A suggested workflow for understanding and commenting on the defamation consultation

Read through Sections 1-5 on this site and look at some of the opinions in commentary page. Download the Word and PDF documents from the Ministry of Justice site. Read them. You may find it helpful to print relevant sections. Make notes against the sections and paragraphs you want to comment on. Come back here to share your comments. Send your comments to the Ministry using the approved form.

Some suggestions for how to use this site

If you want make a general comment, use the section level. Paragraph level comments allow for very detailed analysis.

You can duplicate  your response to the Ministry of Justice here.

Extracts from a blog or published article can be shared here.

You can link to sections and paragraphs from your blog or website. The trackback will show here.

Further explanation at Help

Why bother to comment here when the consultation calls for responses to be sent directly to The Ministry of Justice? If you comment publicly other people can read your comments and readers will have access to the policy discussion. By collecting responses in one place we hope to support and extend informed public debate.

The co-ordinator for this Write To Reply re-publication is Andrew Mackenzie. If you have feedback about your experience of using this document contact him at andrew@writetoreply.org

The consultation

The closing date for email submissions using the approved form is Wednesday 16 December 2009.

The official consultation page can be found on the Ministry Of Justice website: Defamation and the internet: the multiple publication rule.There you can download the original documents in Word and PDF format. Send your response to the MOJ using the approved form defamationandtheinternet@justice.gsi.gov.uk See also How to Respond