On 12/8/05, Justin Cormack justin@specialbusservice.com wrote:
Actually (ignoring the rest of this thread), UK libel law is probably the most important in the world, mainly because it is so bad and you can choose your jurisdiction. Cases have been heard where Americans sue Americans about libels in US publications just because a few copies reached the UK. For many years the UK was the only place any major libel cases were heard (in the days of [[Peter Carter-Ruck]]), as you could get serious damages and it was very much slanted in your favour. It has changed a bit now. The main thing was you didnt have to prove damages, unlike in the US; you would get a notional (often large but once famously a penny) amount of damages for loss of reputation.
This is tempered by the fact that UK libel law is so bad that most other countries will not enforce a UK libel judgment.
Kelly