Freedom of speech
Mary Beard speaks more sense on this issue than most. Whilst it is appropriate to contractually restrict those that work for an organisation from making any comment that directly undermines that organisation’s reputation, any attempt to restrict the expression of genuinely held personal views must be approached with extreme caution.
The dangers of giving more power to employers to govern the expression of opinion of employers is self-evident in the Fox US defamation case. And when it involves a major broadcaster, it gives credibility to fake news which damages us all.
Gary Lineker says he does not fear BBC suspension over asylum policy tweet – BBC News
Other Insights
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15th August 2024Understanding mediation
If you are considering separating from your partner, the process of divorce can seem daunting. You are not alone in feeling like this and the family team at SMB are regularly asked about the process of divorce and mediation. Below we have compiled some of the most popular questions that clients ask us about mediation to help sign post you to your next steps.
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12th August 2024Highlighting some of the heroes – the Post Office scandal
As the Horizon IT Post Office Inquiry Phase 6 comes to an end, and ever more shocking evidence appears about how sub-postmasters were unlawfully convicted as part of a massive criminal conspiracy, when considering all of the bad actors who contributed to the biggest miscarriage of justice in English legal history, it’s worth remembering that there are also people who fall into the opposite category.
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29th July 2024The value of pre-publication procedure
In order to thwart threatened (or successfully defend actual) defamation claims, publishing lawyers regularly advise journalist/publisher clients on the proper fulfilment of their journalistic obligations.
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