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Bill: Fair Criticism Act 2225
Details
Submitted by[?]: Growth and Prosperity Party
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: November 2226
Description[?]:
| The current slander (spoken) and libel (written) laws allow those criticized to sue others over falsehoods as well as ANY "defamatory opinion." This means that anyone stating an opinion (where the truth can't be determined) can be sued as long as the opinion can be proven to defame another's character. This bill proposes to amend the laws so that defamation is determined based on the "truth" of the criticism, and allows fair (truthful) criticism to be stated without fear of lawsuits. By doing so, this bill aims to defend the basic reason for the right to free speech, namely to feel free to speak on issues truthfully without fear of reprisal. Although protection from defmation is ostensibly to protect people's character, in reality it means that those with the financial resources (corporations, movie stars, etc.) can sue their critics into silence, as long as the criticism can be proven to be defamatory. In countries such as Zimbabwe, defamation is used an excuse to bankrupt opposition candidates and supportors. FYI: Only three other nations in Particracy allow individuals to sue for either falsehoods OR defamation, and all three of them are authoritarian regimes. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Libel laws.
Old value:: Individuals may sue over falsehoods and defamatory opinions printed on them.
Current: Individuals may sue over all defamatory remarks printed on them, even truthful ones.
Proposed: Individuals may sue over falsehoods printed on them.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change Slander laws.
Old value:: Individuals may sue over falsehoods and defamatory opinions spoken about them, if judged to be malicious.
Current: Individuals may sue over malicious falsehoods spoken about them.
Proposed: Individuals may sue over malicious falsehoods spoken about them.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 23:06:23, May 10, 2006 CET | From |  Free Conservative Party | To | Debating the Fair Criticism Act 2225 |
| Message | Support. |
| Date | 23:17:31, May 10, 2006 CET | From | Green Manalishi Party | To | Debating the Fair Criticism Act 2225 |
| Message | The GMP supports. |
| Date | 18:29:18, May 11, 2006 CET | From | Centre Démocratique | To | Debating the Fair Criticism Act 2225 |
| Message | This makes sense, we support this. We applaud the GPP for entering in this policy territory that has not been widely discussed. |
| Date | 16:29:56, May 12, 2006 CET | From | Growth and Prosperity Party | To | Debating the Fair Criticism Act 2225 |
| Message | The GPP is not sure if the lack of responses from the honorable DLP and BBP is due to supporting or opposing this bill or simply because there has been a DELUGE of bills submitted for voting recently by the active GMP ;-) We will put this up to vote as well and hope debate hasn't been blocked because of this. ooc: What do you guys think about this in real life? |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 386 | ||||
| no | Total Seats: 121 | ||||
| abstain |
Total Seats: 118 |
| Random fact: Players must never be asked for their Particracy password. This includes Moderation; a genuine Moderator will never ask for your password. |
| Random quote: "It all came from there." - Lech Walesa (pointing to a TV when a reporter asked him why communism fell) |