A quick thread on the ridiculous abuse aimed @hendopolis over #TomorrowsPapersToday and #BrendanCox...
Firstly, the repetition rule in libel, which is painfully simple, if you repeat a libel you are liable for it. This includes RTs...
So if you tweet a front page of a paper that carries a libel, you could be sued for it, because you have repeated the libel...
Why aren’t we all being sued for tweeting newspaper pages and stories I hear you inquire? Because most of us are not worth suing, we can’t afford to pay damages and costs, it would be a waste of time...
The BBC though, now you’re talking, big target, deep pockets, well worth a trip to the High Court if you’re a claimant...
And while the newspaper may have proof of the truth of its front page, the BBC does not have that proof and would therefore not have any defence if sued...
Remember, a claimant can sue anyone they want who carries the libel. They can sue the BBC, while leaving the newspaper unmolested, their choice entirely...
The BBC has no defence of saying ‘we’re not saying this, we are just tweeting out newspapers that say it’...
The BBC is also, as an organisation, much more risk-averse when it comes to legal issues like this than are some national newspapers...
Here endeth the lesson, @hendopolis and his colleagues provide a fantastic service and those whose knowledge of libel law is perhaps lacking ought to lay off
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