CITY A.M.: New UK laws tougher on libel tourism

Changes to the UK’s libel laws will make it more difficult for overseas claimants to pursue a case in the UK courts, in an effort to clamp down on so-called libel tourism. The new Defamation Bill, released in draft form by justice secretary Kenneth Clarke (pictured) yesterday, will require claimants to prove “substantial harm”, and proposes that claims should only be brought against the first publication of a statement, preventing separate claims each time it is repeated. The new jurisdictional rules mean cases will only be heard in the UK courts if it can be shown as “clearly the most appropriate place” for an action. Earlier this year a case was thrown out of the High Court after Ukraine’s Kyiv Post attempted to pursue a case over an article that was downloaded from the internet by just 21 UK users. Read more.