It's a Libel The recently ennobled Lord Goodman is Mr
Wilson's favourite lawyer. He is also a newly appointed trustee of the Observer and has con- siderable experience of the law of libel. His quali- fications for speaking in last week's House of Lords debate on the press and the law are, there. fore, clear. In the light of this, it is disquieting. to say the least, that he delivered himself of one of the most reactionary and anti-press effusions on the subject that 1 can recall—even from the Upper House.
The motion under discussion, introduced in a moderate and sensible speech by Lord Tangley, was based on the 'Justice' report's recommenda- tion for the liberalisation of the law relating to contempt of court, libel and official secrets. Let me quote some of Lord Goodman's observations : This [the 'Justice' report] is a report which is recommending the enlargement of the rights of newspapers: it is recommending that newspapers should have higher privileges. That result can be achieved only by taking away someone else's rights; it can be achieved only by diminishing the rights of the public.
To contend. for example, that any mitigation of the ability of the government of the day to muzzle press criticism of its actions by invoking the harsh and arbitrary Official Secrets Act would `diminish the rights of the public' is a travesty of language which succeeds in expressing the precise reverse of the truth.
Lord Goodman's general attitude to the press is perhaps best exemplified in the following passage: I do not know how, in fact, it is possible to arrive on a conclusion on this matter without knowing something of its [the press's] previous enormities, its previous iniquities. What was it that gave it the bad reputation from which it has now redeemed itself? How has it redeemed itself? It appears to have redeemed itself on its own ipse dixit. No one else says that it has redeemed itself except the press.
Earlier in his speech, after referring to 'what I think is the unsatisfactory decision that penal damages can no longer, as a matter of course, be obtained on a libel,' Goodman made the extraordinary remark `the press are great and rich • and powerful institutions. 1 do not think the press is deterred in any way from publishing something because of fear of an ordinary libel verdict.' Well, . . . but I'm afraid I must make no further com- ments on Lord Goodman. They might be libel- lous. And rich and powerful though we journalists are, that scares me stiff.
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