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Bill: Free Press Act
Details
Submitted by[?]: AM Populist Social Democrats
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: May 2329
Description[?]:
Whereas, there should be no criminal (rather than civil) penalties that preclude the publishing of any news, and Whereas, current law could be used by the government to suppress stories until absolutely proven false, and Whereas, libel and slander laws are better remedies for those who are victims of defamatory information, We hereby propose that slander laws be brought into effect as libel laws already are, but that there be no criminal restraint on the media. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy regarding regulation of media content.
Old value:: There are laws against the publication of false information; everything else may be published freely.
Current: There are laws against the publication of false information and hate speech.
Proposed: There are no content regulations; the media may publish anything, even proven falsehoods.
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change Slander laws.
Old value:: The nation has no laws regarding slander.
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 | 22:08:41, December 13, 2006 CET | From | AM Populist Social Democrats | To | Debating the Free Press Act |
Message | We would have included libel laws in the proposal, but those already exist. Having criminal law regarding what the media can broadcast, even only with respect to falsehoods, can lead to prior restraint of things the government does not desire-- which may well in fact be true information. Rather, the restraint should be in allowing people to sue for libel or slander if damaged by a falsehood. |
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Voting
Vote | Seats | ||||||
yes |
Total Seats: 351 | ||||||
no | Total Seats: 0 | ||||||
abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
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