Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Law Council of Australia

Media

Nothing to write home about: Australia the defamation capital of the world

Speech delivered by Dr Matt Collins AM, QC, President of the Victorian Bar at the National Press Club, 4 September 2019.


"Australian defamation laws – the laws of libel and slander – bear the indelible stamp of their lowly origins.

Libel was derived from Roman law. It was originally a crime, often prosecuted in the Star Chamber.

Slander emerged in the ecclesiastical courts in England in the early middle ages.

Not a promising start for a cause of action that is supposed to balance two fundamental rights when they come into conflict in the internet age: the private right to protect one’s reputation, and the public interest in freedom of expression."

You can read the full speech below.
 

Share

Related Documents
Tags

Most recent items


Trending Items