English PEN and Reporters Without Borders have called for the repeal of section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 in their response to the UK Government’s consultation on the Leveson Inquiry and its implementation, which closes today.
The consultation asks for views on how section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 operates. This section concerns the costs awarded in libel and privacy cases, and is yet to be ‘commenced’ by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
The submission argues that section 40 would pose a serious chill on freedom of expression in the United Kingdom, and recommends its repeal.