On Tuesday 2 March, the Scottish Parliament will vote to reform Scotland’s Defamation law.
Currently, section 30 of the Bill would provide the court with a power to order removal of a statement before any judgment is taken on whether it is defamatory. This guilty-until-proven-innocent power could be abused to muzzle legitimate speech.
Amendments tabled by Fulton MacGregor propose a “prominent notice” power for the Court. This would mean the content can remain up during proceedings, and any readers can understand it's disputed.
Please urge your MSP to protect free expression online by voting for section 30 Amendments 8 and 9 from Fulton MacGregor MSP on Powers of the Court to create a notice regime in ongoing defamation proceedings.
These safeguards will better balance the right to freedom of expression online with the need to fairly protect reputation.
