In message <9303011958.AA24443@soda.berkeley.edu> you write:
Perhaps Tony Kidson could tell us some of the effects of libel law in the UK. The US law, which grew out of British law, seems to have gone in the direction of reducing the power of a libel complaint, while British law has done the opposite. I can't speak for the UK, but those who live there could.
In the UK, We don't have a first amendment :-( The law has developed in such a way that anybody with funds available can silence criticism by issuing a writ. There is much more protection for public figures. for example Robert Maxwell, proprietor of Mirror Group Newspapers (& Pergammon Press amongst others) robbed his companies blind. Everybody knew that he was a crook, but nobody could say so because he had the financial clout to silence everybody who said so with libel writs. The UK needs anonymous posting far more than the US does. Regards Tony Kidson +-----------------+-------------------------------+--------------------------+ | Tony Kidson | PGP 2.1 Key by request | Voice +44 81 466 5127 | | Morgan Towers, | | E-Mail | | Morgan Road, | This Space | tony@morgan.demon.co.uk | | Bromley, | to Rent | tny@cix.compulink.co.uk | | England BR1 3QE |Honda ST1100 ==*== DoD# 0801 | 100024.301@compuserve.com| +-----------------+-------------------------------+----------------------------+