The Government has today announced plans to repeal section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, a key part of the cross-party agreement to implement the Leveson recommendations for independent press regulation.Section 40 would encourage newspapers to become independently regulated, and ensure that the public are protected from intrusion, lies and abuse in the press.Section 40 would also help protect regulated newspapers from “SLAPPs” and legal chilling from wealthy litigants.The victims of press abuse have waited over ten years for the Leveson model of independent press regulation to be fully brought into effect, after all parties promised to implement the system to raise press standards in 2013. Over 200 newspapers are now independently regulated and are waiting on section 40 to be commenced, so that they may benefit from the protections they were promised. But the Government has refused to commence it and has now confirmed plans to repeal it in the King’s Speech.Although the Leveson system has had the support of the NUJ, Article 19 and other journalist & press freedom organisations, most national newspaper owners and editors oppose it because they do not wish to be held accountable for any wrongdoing.Commenting, Hacked Off CEO Nathan Sparkes said,

“Section 40 underpins the Leveson system of independent press regulation and is critical to upholding the rights of the public, protecting people from lies, intrusion and other abuses in the press, and ensuring that newspapers can defend themselves from wealthy litigants. It is vital to upholding the interests of the public as well as the freedom of the press.“National newspaper owners’ opposition to the measure is based on a self-interested obsession with avoiding accountability at all costs.“The Government’s plan to repeal section 40, announced today in the King’s Speech, is a cynical attempt to bribe national newspaper owners ahead of the next election in the hope of receiving more favourable coverage in return.“It is utterly desperate stuff from the Prime Minister, who is prepared to abandon the victims of press abuse, over 200 independently regulated newspapers and the cross-party agreement on press standards, all to curry favour with the press barons.“We are confident that voters will see straight through this grubby and self-serving attempt at retaining the support of the national press and will be working with our supporters across the country to expose it for what it is among the public.“Parliament has a history of standing up to the Government on this issue, and we encourage all politicians of integrity to be prepared to take a stand again.”

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