Libel Reform: Urgent Next Steps (UK Only)

Content of an e-mail received today. Non-UK residents, please ignore.

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Libel reform: urgent next steps

Please come to the House of Commons for a mass lobby meeting at 2pm Tuesday 23^rd March. We will be joined by high profile supporters of the campaign at what will be our last chance to get commitment for libel law reform from politicians and policy makers before the election is called.

What is a mass lobby?

A mass lobby is when a large number of people go to Parliament to raise the same concern each with their own MP at the same time. You have a right to go to the House to meet your MP in the heart of Parliament and they are usually keen to meet you if they are free - especially with an election so soon.

What do I need to do?

Find out who your MP is and their contact details here: www.theyworkforyou.com

Email them or write to them:

• Identify yourself as a constituent - give your postal address
• Tell your MP: I will be coming to the House of Commons on Tuesday 23^rd March at 2 pm for a meeting on libel law reform in Committee Room 15. I would like to meet you at that meeting or afterwards in the Central Lobby between 3 pm and 4 pm to find out where you and your party stand.
• Turn up on the day

What will happen on the day?

Come to the Cromwell Green entrance to the Houses of Parliament. You will have to allow about 20 minutes to pass through security and to get to Committee Room 15 for 2 pm. We will hear from high profile Champions of the campaign on why the political parties need to commit to reform libel laws which are unjust, against the public interest and an international menace and, we hope, from spokespeople for the parties on justice matters. Your MP may be there if you wrote to them. We can ask them en masse what they are doing to get a manifesto commitment for libel law reform or you can ask them personally.

Usually your MP will reply to your email agreeing to meet you in central lobby or apologising for not being around (you should ask to meet their researcher in that case).

Please let us know if you can come and if your MP agrees to meet you. The House sits from 2 pm until 10 pm on Tuesday. If you can only come in the evening please let us know - if there is enough demand we will organise something then as well.

The election in the UK is expected to be on Thursday 6^th May so Parliament will rise very soon. This is our only chance for a mass lobby to change these archaic, restrictive laws.

If you are not in the UK or we have emailed you separately about this please accept our apologies.

Sile and Mike

news@libelreform.org

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Links to CR4 threads with background information:

UK Libel Law reform

UK Libel Law Reform re-visited