The campaign to reform English libel law is gathering pace, with the powerful support of the Sunday Times among many others. The laws are said to strangle free speech and encourage libel tourism. But is this true? Bear in mind the press and media are not disinterested parties in this debate.
It is widely claimed that foreigners are coming to England to sue overseas publishers for vast sums, even if their books or newspapers have small circulations here. This view stems in part from a misunderstanding about a particular case (in which I had an advisory role). In 2003 an American academic, Rachel Ehrenfeld, published a book in the US, Funding Evil, on terrorist fundraising. Just 23 copies were sold in Britain, over the internet. Yet a rich Saudi businessman sued in London and won a reported £130,000 in damages and costs.
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