The World And How I View It.

October 13, 2009

Cant gag the internet.

Filed under: Human Rights, Politics, media — asnelson @ 12:09 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

This mouring the Guardian Newspaper was stopped from reporting parliament. Below is an extract from the Guardian site. and below that is the question they have been banded for asking.
The Guardian has been prevented from reporting parliamentary proceedings on legal grounds which appear to call into question privileges guaranteeing free speech established under the 1688 Bill of Rights.
Today’s published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found.

The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented – for the first time in memory – from reporting parliament. Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret.

The only fact the Guardian can report is that the case involves the London solicitors Carter-Ruck, who specialise in suing the media for clients, who include individuals or global corporations.

Below is the question that can not be asked.

“Questions for Oral or Written Answer beginning on Tuesday 13 October 2009″

(292409)
61
N Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation to protect (a) whistleblowers and (b) press freedom following the injunctions obtained in the High Court by (i) Barclays and Freshfields solicitors on 19 March 2009 on the publication of internal Barclays reports documenting alleged tax avoidance schemes and (ii) Trafigura and Carter-Ruck solicitors on 11 September 2009 on the publication of the Minton report on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, commissioned by Trafigura.

Related links

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/12/guardian-gagged-from-reporting-parliament

http://www.spectator.co.uk/alexmassie/5417651/british-press-banned-from-reporting-parliament-seriously.thtml

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Minton_report:_Trafigura_Toxic_dumping_along_the_Ivory_Coast_broke_EU_regulations%2C_14_Sep_2006

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/16/trafigura-oil-ivory-coast

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/13/guardian-court-parliament-reporting-gag

3 Comments »

  1. Who was the Judge that actually entertained the above lawyer and granted the injunction?

    Comment by billibaldi — October 13, 2009 @ 12:31 pm | Reply

  2. 38 Degrees are currently running a campaign on this. Take action now by emailing your MP and asking them to take a stand to stop this happening again in the future. Take action now, it only takes 2 mins. Go to:

    http://www.38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-gag

    Comment by lauraO — October 13, 2009 @ 1:10 pm | Reply

  3. Well done to the Guardian on being able to report on Trafigura issue raised in parliament.38 Degrees are currently running a campaign on this. Take action now by emailing your MP and asking them to not let this happen again. Take action now, it only takes 2 mins. Go to:

    38degrees.org.uk/stop-the-gag

    Comment by Tosin Aro — October 13, 2009 @ 2:10 pm | Reply


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