Political Libels

The political libel is as old as politics itself. The politician,seeking redress in the courts for an allegedly libellous publication, uses the English law of libel to attempt to remove the stain from his character. Wielding the 'sword of truth' he does battle with the media, often with huge attendant publicity, and at great risk to his reputation should he fail in his quest. At the same time he stands to pocket a substantial sum in damages if he can show the libel to have been committed. In this, the first modern study of the phenomenon of political libels, the author delves behind the headlines and looks at the political and legal problems which surround this little understood but controversial area of English law. In this highly readable and engaging work the author surveys the ancient and modern history of the political libel laws, and argues that the English law of libel has in the main been too jealous of defending the reputations of politicians and insufficiently alert to the legitimate interest of the public. A strong case is made for reforming the law substantially, a case which rests both on the experience of other countries (notably the USA), and also on a re-examination of a handful of English cases dating from the mid-to-late nineteenth century whose significance has been downplayed by lawyers in subsequent years.

ISBN 1841131156   Pages 224 ISBN13 9781841131153 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Hart Publishing   Weight (grammes) 440 Imprint Hart Publishing   Published in Oxford Format Hardback   Height (mm) 216 Publication date 08 Jun 2000   Width (mm) 138 Library of Congress 00710723   Spine width (mm) 17 DEWEY 345.420256   Academic level Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC21

1 Introduction2 The Common Law and Political Libels in Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Britain3 American Perspectives on Political Libels in the Early Democratic Era4 The English Common Law in the Early Years of the Modern Democratic Era5 Sullivan v. The New York Times6 The Sullivan Principle in 'English' Law7 English Law - the First Phase of Reform8 Sullivan v. The New York Times in Australia9 English Law - the Second Phase of Reform?10 Conclusion

This is a valuable and interesting monograph on an aspect of defamation law which is of great topical interest.Geoffrey BindmanNew Law JournalNot only lawyers and journalists but politicians would also find Loveland's thorough analysis of the law, derived from cases of political libel, instructive.A. G. NooraniEconomic and Political WeeklyDecember 2005stimulating and engaging narrative. His tour and commentary is consistently interestingIt deserves attention.Patrick Milmo QCInternational and Comparative Law QuarterlyOctober 2001As one would expect, Political Libels is a well structured work. The argument is clearly and logically developed in easily comprehensible stages. The comparative analysis is skilfully interwoven within the fabric of the book, and the mode of expression is clear and sharp. Overall, Professor Ian Loveland has advanced an intensely readable and erudite case for reform of the English law of political libels. His book makes a valuable and stimulating contribution to scholarship in this area, and is well deserving of a place on the bookshelves of all defamation aficionados.Michael GilloolyMedia and Arts Law ReviewMarch 2001Political Libels fills a large gap in the libel literature that for too long has been predominantly descriptive the book remains a welcomed contribution to our understanding of a controversial topic of English law.Sharon Lockyer, Loughborough UniversityPolitical StudiesJuly 2001Professor Ian Loveland is well known for his extensive writing on the use of the law of defamation by public figures to protect their reputations...interesting book...thought-provokingDavid FeldmanPublic LawJune 2002Ian Loveland has produced a significant comparative analysis of defamation doctrineAndrew T. KenyonMelbourne University Law ReviewFebruary 2001

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