internet libel cases increasing

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

This example has special circumstances with Singapores strict laws but I've read that some US and British citizens are now taking out libel cases in French courts where the laws of privacy are much stricter.
One person won a case aginst a UK newspaper because it's website could be read in France and another won about remarks from a book repeated on a website even though the book sold only 25 copies in the UK.

All very confusing as to where it might all end..especially with the USA where it's almost impssible to sue because of their Freedom Of Speech .

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US blogger charged in Singapore over 'prostituting' comment
A California-based blogger who allegedly accused a judge of "prostituting herself" has been arrested and charged in Singapore, his lawyer and a court document said Monday.
Gopalan Nair, a former Singapore lawyer who is now a US citizen, was arrested in the city-state Saturday and charged Monday with insulting a public servant, his lawyer Chia Ti Lik told AFP.
Nair, 58, was later remanded in custody for one more week as the authorities said they needed to investigate further, Chia told reporters.
He is due back in court next Monday.
"We can confirm that Gopalan Nair, a US citizen, was arrested on May 31," a US embassy spokesman said, adding that "we are monitoring the case closely."
According to a court document, Nair is charged with insulting Justice Belinda Ang Saw Ean last Thursday by sending an email which said she "was throughout prostituting herself during the entire proceedings, by being nothing more than an employee of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his son and carrying out their orders".
Nair's lawyer Chia said the comments essentially repeated those Nair made in a recent blog about a defamation case filed by Singapore's leaders against an opposition party and its members.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1 (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080602140528.9wnrpke3&show_article=1)

...."Nair is charged with insulting Justice Belinda Ang Saw Ean last Thursday by sending an email which said she "was throughout prostituting herself during the entire proceedings, by being nothing more than an employee of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his son and carrying out their orders"....

So a lawyer sends a Judge a letter accusing her of gross misconduct? I think he'd be up on some kind of charges if he did that here in the US - though we probably wouldn't throw him in the clink.

[cottmann]

This example has special circumstances with Singapores strict laws but I've read that some US and British citizens are now taking out libel cases in French courts where the laws of privacy are much stricter.
One person won a case aginst a UK newspaper because it's website could be read in France and another won about remarks from a book repeated on a website even though the book sold only 25 copies in the UK.

All very confusing as to where it might all end..especially with the USA where it's almost impssible to sue because of their Freedom Of Speech.............. .

I think you are conflating different different issues.

Defamation, including libel (i.e., written communications) and slander (or spoken communications) refers to comments about someone that are communicated to a third party, so sending an email or posting a blog message that contains statements about someone else that are false, malicious, and defamatory is stupid. Depending on the jurisdiction and the circumstances, truth may be a defense against charges of internet libel.

Privacy laws are invoked when someone posts private facts or information about another person that are not of public concern and where the release of such information would offend a "reasonable person." Truth is never a defense against breaching privacy laws.

Insulting a judge, whether in public or in private, is just plain stupid in most jurisdictions under most professional conduct rules for lawyers, and has nothing to do with either defamation or privacy laws.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

I have probably made a confusing post ( I should never work before lunch)..but I know all about libel as I've been involved in 2 cases myself-one successfull-one abandoned

I meant to really point out that the internet is becoming just a little less free than it has been and many people still believe it's sort open slather and can just say anything about anyone. Although of course , it would be impossible suing the multi millions who are actually use the net.

But the libel laws in France are easier to access than the UK which really are only for the rich to use agianst each other (unless one finds a lawyer and barrister to work for free !)

Mind you if you were to accuse a judge in print in the UK of "prostituting themselves" I have no doubt you would be sued for libel.