Litigious Saudi Arabians -- making use of plaintiff-friendly British libel laws -- have imposed major restrictions on free speech in Britain. British law is just the opposite of American law. In America, someone suing for libel has to show that the … [Read more...] about The Liberal Tourist: Silencing Free Speech
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The Lights Go Out In Britain
The sinister police response to Islamist incitement (see post below) in which they tried to suppress the evidence of it in the interests of ‘community cohesion’ is unfortunately part of a far larger picture of terminal British cultural cringe and … [Read more...] about The Lights Go Out In Britain
Britain And The Us Are Not Shoulder To Shoulder Over Defamation
When it comes to libel, the US disagrees with the high court - and one American author is hoping to take advantage of it English libel law itself could face scrutiny in a US court, in a case brought by a US author in New York. Rachel Ehrenfeld's … [Read more...] about Britain And The Us Are Not Shoulder To Shoulder Over Defamation
New York Court Considers Free Speech Case
Media groups in the United States and Britain are awaiting the result of a decision by the highest court in New York State in the latest stage of a battle between an academic and a Saudi Arabian businessman who obtained a libel judgment against her … [Read more...] about New York Court Considers Free Speech Case
US Author Mounts ‘Libel Tourism’ Challenge
A ferocious attack on the "chilling effect" of the English law of libel and its use by wealthy "foreign tourists" will be mounted in a top US court today, with backing from organisations that represent a majority of the world's media. The case is … [Read more...] about US Author Mounts ‘Libel Tourism’ Challenge
State Court Of Appeals To Determine Long-Arm Laws
The state's highest court must decide under what circumstances New York's "long-arm" law can be invoked to give the state personal jurisdiction over someone who is not physically within the state. The Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday from … [Read more...] about State Court Of Appeals To Determine Long-Arm Laws
Sheikh It All About
How far can a Saudi sheikh use English law against an American author? CAN the guarantee of free speech in America's first amendment trump English libel law? That is the question facing New York's Court of Appeals, in a case starting on November … [Read more...] about Sheikh It All About
Chilling Free Speech
The U.S. media has started to notice Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz's use of British libel laws to silence allegations that he funded al Qaeda. Even the venerable New York Times has featured an essay on the subject, plus an Op-Ed urging … [Read more...] about Chilling Free Speech
Tithing For Terrorists
“Governments have political considerations,”“ said senior N.Y. Senator Charles Schumer, upon learning in September that Bourse Dubai intends to buy 20 percent of NASDAQ. Republican Senator Bob Bennett of Utah countered, saying, “Dubai is making a … [Read more...] about Tithing For Terrorists
Attorneys Have An Effective New Way To Defeat Islamic Groups’ Libel Suits.
Nothing gets a journalist’s attention like a subpoena. While authoritarian regimes silence critics by murdering or jailing them, journalists (and other critics) in the United States face gentler, but still effective, intimidation: libel lawsuits. … [Read more...] about Attorneys Have An Effective New Way To Defeat Islamic Groups’ Libel Suits.