The Leveson Inquiry was not the only media law show in town this week, with the publication of the Joint Committee on the Draft Defamation Bill’s first report.  It accepts most of the government’s draft bill’s contents, but proposes a test of “serious and substantial harm” in clause 1 and some amendments to clause 2 (responsible publication) and to other clauses. It recommends that qualified privilege should be extended to fair and accurate reports of academic and scientific conferences and peer reviewed articles. Continue reading