Under the common law, government institutions cannot sue for libel. Roy quoted the “Derbyshire Principle” in his defence. Under this principle, individuals should be free to criticise government institutions and their agencies without fear of being sued for defamation. The principle has been adopted widely in the courts, beginning in the United Kingdom (Derbyshire Town, for which it is named) and following in Canada, Australia, India, South Africa and Malaysia. In the United States, this principle has stood for nearly a century and its purpose is to allow free and fair criticism of public institutions by the citizens who both fund them with their tax dollars and are governed by them.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 04:57:45 +0000
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