§ 55. Mr. Grimondasked the Attorney-General if he will seek to amend the laws of libel to exempt distributors from proceedings for libel.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThis question was considered by the Faulks Committee on defamation whose report (Cmnd.614W 5909) was published in March 1975. The committee pointed out that a special defence of innocent dissemination is available to a distributor if he neither knew nor ought to have known that a publication he has distributed contained the libel complained of or was of a character likely to contain a libel; and recommended against any change in the law to exempt distributors all together from proceedings for libel. My noble Friend is still considering this recommendation.