The Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 (44 & 45 Vict. c.60) was an act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Introduced as a Private Member's Bill, it reduced the legislative burden on newspaper proprietors with regard to the offence of libel; as a quid pro quo, the compulsory registration of proprietors (abolished by the Newspapers, Printers, and Reading Rooms Repeal Act 1869) was reintroduced.[1]
Text of the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Following the removal of compulsory registration in 1869, newspaper owners had begun to look to anonymity as a protection against lawsuits arising out of the publication of libellous statements.[1] At the same time, the judgment in Purcell v Sowler (1877) saw a newspaper proprietor successfully sued despite recognition that the libellous statements his newspaper had published were merely quoted verbatim from the testimony of a member of the public made at public meeting.[2] Against this backdrop, two successive select committees were established to look at the law of libel; the first made no report, but the second took on the evidence of the first, and made several recommendations. In the words of John Hutchinson, MP for Halifax, "the Bill embodied the recommendations of [the second] Committee, and was confined to them exclusively".[3] The bill itself took the form of a Private Member's Bill.[1]
In terms of content, section 2 of the Act (as it became when it received royal assent on 27 August 1881[4]) introduced a new defence for newspaper proprietors in cases where the libel stemmed from a fair, accurate and non-malicious report of a publicly held meeting.[1] This extension of qualified privilege was then "amplified" by the Law of Libel Amendment Act 1888,[5] which in doing so repealed section 2 of the 1881 Act. Repealed at the same time was section 3 ("No prosecution for newspaper libel without fiat of Attorney General").[4] The Act also benefited newspaper owners insofar as it instituted provisions (section 4, 5 and 6) for the quicker (and hence cheaper) resolution of newspaper libel cases.[1] Contrary to expectations, however, the passage of the Act correlated with an increase, rather than decrease, in the number of defamatory libel (criminal) actions being brought against newspapers. Whether the two were causally linked is not known, however.[6]
In return, proprietors were happy to accept the reintroduction of compulsory registration that had been removed in 1869 (now provided for by sections 7 to 15 of the 1881 Act inclusive).[1] These registration clauses, which included an exemption for proprietors who are already registered companies, were not repealed until 2015[4] and were still enforced.[7] For the purposes of the Act, a newspaper is defined as "any paper containing public news, intelligence, or occurrences, or any remarks or observations therein printed for sale, and published ... periodically, or in parts or numbers at intervals not exceeding 26 days".[7] As of 2009, 56 newspapers and their proprietors were centrally registered as a result of these provisions.[8] Under section 19 of the Act, it never applied to Scotland.[4]
The provisions on registration in sections 7 to 18 were repealed by the Deregulation Act 2015 as being no longer of practical use.[9] As a result, only section 4 remains in force, and that only in relation to Northern Ireland and courts hearing charges there of blasphemous libel.
Referencesedit
^ abcdefTom O'Malley; Clive Soley (20 November 2000). Regulating The Press. Pluto Press. p. 47. ISBN978-0-7453-1197-5. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
^Lord Nicholas of Birkenhead (28 October 1999). "Judgment -House of Lords - Reynolds v. Times Newspapers Limited and Others". parliament.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
Text of the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Text of the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
February 15, 2024
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The Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 44 amp 45 Vict c 60 was an act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom Introduced as a Private Member s Bill it reduced the legislative burden on newspaper proprietors with regard to the offence of libel as a quid pro quo the compulsory registration of proprietors abolished by the Newspapers Printers and Reading Rooms Repeal Act 1869 was reintroduced 1 Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881Parliament of the United KingdomLong titleAn Act to amend the Law of Newspaper Libel and to provide for the Registration of Newspaper Proprietors Citation44 amp 45 Vict c 60Introduced byPrivate Member s BillTerritorial extent England Wales and later Northern IrelandDatesRoyal assent27 August 1881Other legislationAmended byLaw of Libel Amendment Act 1888Administration of Justice Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1933Criminal Law Act 1977Deregulation Act 2015Status AmendedText of statute as originally enactedText of the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 as in force today including any amendments within the United Kingdom from legislation gov uk Following the removal of compulsory registration in 1869 newspaper owners had begun to look to anonymity as a protection against lawsuits arising out of the publication of libellous statements 1 At the same time the judgment in Purcell v Sowler 1877 saw a newspaper proprietor successfully sued despite recognition that the libellous statements his newspaper had published were merely quoted verbatim from the testimony of a member of the public made at public meeting 2 Against this backdrop two successive select committees were established to look at the law of libel the first made no report but the second took on the evidence of the first and made several recommendations In the words of John Hutchinson MP for Halifax the Bill embodied the recommendations of the second Committee and was confined to them exclusively 3 The bill itself took the form of a Private Member s Bill 1 In terms of content section 2 of the Act as it became when it received royal assent on 27 August 1881 4 introduced a new defence for newspaper proprietors in cases where the libel stemmed from a fair accurate and non malicious report of a publicly held meeting 1 This extension of qualified privilege was then amplified by the Law of Libel Amendment Act 1888 5 which in doing so repealed section 2 of the 1881 Act Repealed at the same time was section 3 No prosecution for newspaper libel without fiat of Attorney General 4 The Act also benefited newspaper owners insofar as it instituted provisions section 4 5 and 6 for the quicker and hence cheaper resolution of newspaper libel cases 1 Contrary to expectations however the passage of the Act correlated with an increase rather than decrease in the number of defamatory libel criminal actions being brought against newspapers Whether the two were causally linked is not known however 6 In return proprietors were happy to accept the reintroduction of compulsory registration that had been removed in 1869 now provided for by sections 7 to 15 of the 1881 Act inclusive 1 These registration clauses which included an exemption for proprietors who are already registered companies were not repealed until 2015 4 and were still enforced 7 For the purposes of the Act a newspaper is defined as any paper containing public news intelligence or occurrences or any remarks or observations therein printed for sale and published periodically or in parts or numbers at intervals not exceeding 26 days 7 As of 2009 56 newspapers and their proprietors were centrally registered as a result of these provisions 8 Under section 19 of the Act it never applied to Scotland 4 The provisions on registration in sections 7 to 18 were repealed by the Deregulation Act 2015 as being no longer of practical use 9 As a result only section 4 remains in force and that only in relation to Northern Ireland and courts hearing charges there of blasphemous libel References edit a b c d e f Tom O Malley Clive Soley 20 November 2000 Regulating The Press Pluto Press p 47 ISBN 978 0 7453 1197 5 Retrieved 13 April 2012 Lord Nicholas of Birkenhead 28 October 1999 Judgment House of Lords Reynolds v Times Newspapers Limited and Others parliament uk Retrieved 13 April 2012 Newspapers law of libel bill Parliamentary Debates Hansard 11 May 1881 Retrieved 13 April 2012 a b c d Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 Legislation gov uk Retrieved 13 April 2012 John M Hall 1938 Preserving Liberty of the Press by the Defense of Privilege in Libel Actions California Law Review 26 239 Consultation paper on the crime of libel Ireland The Law Reform Commission August 1991 Retrieved 14 April 2012 a b Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 PDF Companies House May 2011 Retrieved 13 April 2012 Newspapers Database List Companies House 2010 Retrieved 23 April 2012 Deregulation Act 2015 Schedule 23 External links editText of the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom from legislation gov uk Text of the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 as in force today including any amendments within the United Kingdom from legislation gov uk Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881 amp oldid 1176416182, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
