Help fight new law that would silence investigative journalism and stop you reading vital stories like these
MPs’ expenses scandal, naming the killers of teenager Stephen Lawrence, and Fifa corruption could all have been scuppered by Section 40
VITAL stories such as ex-Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell being exposed for branding No10 cops “f****** plebs” would never be published if a planned law is passed.
When The Sun splashed Mitchell’s outburst on our front page he sued us for libel – and lost.
Mitchell was left with a shattered reputation – and enormous legal costs running into millions.
Yet under an unjust new law that could be signed off by Culture Secretary Karen Bradley, The Sun would have had to pay both our portion of costs AND Mitchell’s.
Even though we won.
Little wonder free speech campaigners have expressed their horror at the swingeing law - Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 - which will stifle papers’ ability to hold the rich and powerful to account.
The MPs’ expenses scandal, naming the killers of teenager Stephen Lawrence, Fifa corruption and the Rotherham sex grooming scandal could all have been scuppered by Section 40.
Crooked businessman and corrupt politicians could simply sue a newspaper on a whim even if the story about them was true and in the public interest.
And bankrupt the publication even if they lost.
It means public interest revelations simply won’t get printed and investigative journalism would be killed stone dead.
Section 40 punishes publications that don’t sign up to a state-approved regulator called Impress - bankrolled by motor racing tycoon Max Mosley who has had a vendetta against the press ever since The News of The World revealed his S&M orgy with five sex workers. No major newspaper group has joined.
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Despite a raft of reforms to the Press, Culture Secretary Mrs Bradley is also under pressure to give the green light to a second Leveson enquiry, this time examining the relationship between the Press and the police
The original Leveson Inquiry - and its associated criminal trials - have already cost the taxpayer nearly £50 million.
And Operation Elveden - the Met’s probe into illegal payments produced just one conviction of a journalist – later overturned on appeal – at a cost of £15m.
But it’s not too late to prevent Section 40 and stop Leveson Two.
The Culture Secretary has wisely launched a public consultation in which you can have your say.
If you want to defend the rights of a free Press to shine a light on injustice, write to your MP or Culture Secretary Karen Bradley. Or simply join the online petition at .
