Queen's Speech: Libel law reform will be introduced

The Queen confirmed today that legislation will be introduced to reform the law of defamation and "protect freedom of speech".

Delivering the Queen's Speech today, which outlines parliament's legislative plans for the next year, the Queen confirmed that libel reform will be on the agenda.

In July 2010 the government announced it would bring forward a Defamation Bill to reform libel laws in England and Wales by the 2011/12 parliamentary session.

Just two months ago justice minister Lord McNally also urged that the "very specific and focused reform" of libel law not be delayed and "swept away by a Leveson tsunami", in reference to the ongoing Leveson inquiry into the culture, ethics and practices of the press.

At the time Lord McNally said he would have been "extremely disappointed if a commitment to legislate on defamation" was not included in today's Queen's Speech.

In response to the Queen's Speech libel reform campaigners said they "are really pleased to see the government has moved closer to honouring its promise of a fairer law".

In a statement chief executive of Index on Censorship, which is part of the campaign group, Kirsty Hughes added: "The 60,000 people who signed the Libel Reform Campaign will be delighted that the government has announced this reform, though we’ll be awaiting the detail."

But the Libel Reform Campaign added that the government's draft Defamation Bill published in March last year and the government response "both fall short of what is needed".

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