Trafigura's super-injunction is weird for lots of reasons. But the strangest fact is this: it has nothing to do with the Honourable Mr Justice Eady. The company's lawyers injuncted the Guardian, injuncted their injunction, and tried to injunct reports of parliament's proceedings. And they did all this without enlisting the help of the hanging judge of the Queen's Bench Division, the legal censor who appears to be fighting a one-man battle against freedom of speech. That's quite an achievement.
Monbiot on form on a critical issue: the abuse of our libel law. He concludes:
So read Jack Straw's testimony before the commons culture, media and sport committee and weep. Every time an MP put forward a firm proposal for reforming the law, the justice secretary responded in a manner so vague and nebulous that as you read the text his words become invisible, camouflaging themselves among the letters of which they are made.
Does Straw have no principles left?
It is time for radical reform. Not least that a claimant has to prove they ave suffered loss. That would kill 99% of cases.
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