Current Events
Two Sikh-Britons Inspire Libel Law Reform in United Kingdom
ANDY McSMITH
Two of the most notorious libel cases of modern times have involved defendants called Singh.
Singh 1 was Sikh-Briton Simon Singh, a reputed author and journalist who was sued by the British Chiropractic Association over an article that criticised what he described as bogus practices.
After the case had dragged on for two years, three Law Lords warned that "this litigation has almost certainly had a chilling effect on public debate which might otherwise had assisted potential patients".
Simon Singh won.
Singh 2 was another Sikh-Briton, Hardeep Singh, who wrote an article in The Sikh Times criticising followers of a man called Jeet Singh, whom Hardeep (no relation) h described as a "cult leader".
Though the charlatan baba, who lives in the Punjab, reputedly speaks no English and has never set foot in the United Kingdom, someone may have alerted him to London's reputation as the libel capital of the world.
The case dragged on for three and a half years until Hardeep Singh won and the suit was finally thrown out in February 2011.
Next Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the Queen's Speech will set out the government's legislative programme for the coming year.
There is a draft Defamation Bill, published over a year ago, which has solid political support, and which would aim to make litigation quicker and cheaper, which would discourage "libel tourism", under which wealthy foreigners choose London as their most favourable litigation location, and which would protect articles that appear in peer-reviewed scientific or academic journals.
The Bill will probably feature in the Queen's Speech.
That could be bad news for libel lawyers, but good for free speech.
[Courtesy: The Independent. Edited for sikhchic.com]
May 10, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Gurmukh Singh (London, United Kingdom), May 11, 2012, 12:43 AM.
Hardeep Singh made history when he defended himself successfully against this "Shri Maan 108 Sant Baba Jit Singh Ji Maharaj". Much to my frustration, the Baba was given eulogistic coverage by The Sikh Times UK in the centennial publication, "One Guide & One Path", which I collated and edited for the paper at about the same time as the case was going on. It was later withdrawn from the online publication at my request (http://emgonline.co.uk/brochureLOW.pdf). I now believe the item was included as part apology to the baba for Hardeep Singh's critical article in the paper. I became more directly involved in another proxy case against the UK's Panjab Times on behalf of the baba. That case was thrown out due to the verdict in Hardeep Singh's case. Nevertheless, when the affluent and the influential threaten journalists and writers with defamation, it is an unequal, time wasting and costly contest, best avoided.