Privacy and Defamation Bills 2006

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Tuesday October 03, 2006 12:03

by Michael Coulter

Statutory Controls Reduce Press Freedom

Minister Mc Dowell , not content with the role of Tanaiste and the over-long
data retention of all Irish citizens e-mail/phone/fax records for a period of three
years introduced on July 4th 2006 two bills, known as the Privacy and defamation bills.

The choice of date was ironic given that it ties in with the whole US/UK terror
alert and concommitent reduction in civil liberties which we have fought for
and taken for granted through the last couple of centuries.

It has been criticised by Journalists all over Europe and In Ireland, but
that is just grist to the mill. The elite in fortress europe will protect
their rights and reduce yours and those of your children.

http://mediaforum.ie/?p=52
Has a short analysis of the Privacy Bill.

http://www.justice.ie :

Has three or four pdf downloads which comprise the junket rationalisation
of Privacy/Defamation, but no-one is fooled.

http://www.digitalrights.ie/category/defamation (for information on the other half of the package)

In the light of 11/09/01 the continuous erosion of accepted rights has gathered momentum.
In Ireland this includes laws that put the State directly into the private domain.

Minister Mc Dowell ,currently holding 4% of the national vote has his greasy little paws
on the sexual morality of the country, the Traffic Data Retention Act, which was
introduced after the threat of legal action by the information commissioner
because Mc Dowell was Illegally and without legislation retaining all e-mail/phone
and fax data for a period of three years on foot of a covert data retention accomplished
by Mary O Rourke- now seeks to control and legislate Press Freedom and
'information gathering'.

Today he will be seen to rescue the well-furnished butt of Minister Ahern.

There will be 23 Bills published in the current programme for Government.

Each one of them will reduce citizen rights.

Back to Privacy:

" The Privacy Bill is ill thought out, poorly drafted and brings even greater uncertainty
to this particular area of civil law in Ireland than already exists. t is premature in its
introduction and has been presented to the government as a workable piece of
legislation in the absence of any comprehensive consultation or debate on its
provisions. The Bill has the potential to stifle journalistic investigations on matters of
public interest ".

Celebrity politicians-huh?

A journalist may- in go to court, be liable to fine and or imprisonment, hand over documentation
(discs/written/photos)

We can all see why Ms Kennedy burnt the evidence on Bertie, and the law has
not been enacted-yet.

The Privacy Bill creates a direct link between Government and Press.

There will be no independent press council.

"The main purpose of the Bill will be to introduce a model framework to protect all citizens
from the Invasion of their Privacy. The range provided under the bill explicitly recognises the
vital and necessary role of newsgathering(!) The provision of the defence of fair and
reasonable publication of public importance in the defamation Bill, is also mirrored in this
Privacy Bill to facilitate public discussion where there is both a benefit and interest
in it taking place" (Minister Mc Dowell, July 4th 2006)

Said it before and will say it again:

Geraldine Kennedy tried to elicit public discussion on Bertie, she was dragged before

Mahon wherein she had to admit burning the evidence.

The legislations of the right wing government erode personal and civil

liberties.

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Privacy and Defamation Bills 2006