{"longTitle":"To amend the law of defamation.","summary":"<p>The aim of the Bill is to reform the law of defamation to ensure that a fair balance is struck between the right to freedom of expression and the protection of reputation. The Bill makes a number of substantive changes to the law of defamation, but is not designed to codify the law into a single statute.</p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><ul><li>includes a requirement for claimants to show that they have suffered serious harm before suing for defamation</li><li>removes the current presumption in favour of a jury trial</li><li>introduces a defence of \"responsible publication on matters of public interest\"</li><li>provides increased protection to operators of websites that host user-generated content, providing they comply with the procedure to enable the complainant to resolve disputes directly with the author of the material concerned</li><li>introduces new statutory defences of truth and honest opinion to replace the common law defences of justification. and fair comment.</li></ul>","sponsors":[{"member":{"memberId":366,"name":"Mr Kenneth Clarke","party":"Conservative","partyColour":"0063ba","house":"Commons","memberPhoto":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/366/Thumbnail","memberPage":"https://members.parliament.uk/member/366/contact","memberFrom":"Rushcliffe"},"organisation":{"name":"Ministry of Justice","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice"},"sortOrder":1},{"member":{"memberId":919,"name":"Lord McNally","party":"Liberal Democrat","partyColour":"fc7d0b","house":"Lords","memberPhoto":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/919/Thumbnail","memberPage":"https://members.parliament.uk/member/919/contact","memberFrom":"Life peer"},"organisation":{"name":"Ministry of Justice","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice"},"sortOrder":2}],"promoters":[],"petitioningPeriod":null,"petitionInformation":null,"agent":null,"billId":983,"shortTitle":"Defamation Act","formerShortTitle":null,"currentHouse":"Unassigned","originatingHouse":"Commons","lastUpdate":"2021-03-18T15:37:10.6318655","billWithdrawn":null,"isDefeated":false,"billTypeId":1,"introducedSessionId":25,"includedSessionIds":[25],"isAct":true,"currentStage":{"id":5903,"stageId":11,"sessionId":25,"description":"Royal Assent","abbreviation":"RA","house":"Unassigned","stageSittings":[{"id":5478,"stageId":11,"billStageId":5903,"billId":983,"date":"2013-04-25T00:00:00"}],"sortOrder":16}}