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The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to approve a bipartisan bill that will protect journalists and authors from libel lawsuits filed overseas.
The Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act, known as the SPEECH Act, was co-sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. It will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting authors and journalists from libel lawsuits filed abroad.
The United Kingdom, long a popular venue for libel suits that would fail under the stronger free speech protections of American law, is considering libel reforms that would create exceptions for public-interest reporting, bar multiple lawsuits arising from the same material and create new jurisdictional requirements, The Associated Press reported.
One of Germany's highest appellate courts this month ruled that the country’s courts have long-arm jurisdiction over an American author and newspaper because the article was viewed on the Internet in Germany.
The Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing Tuesday morning voiced support for legislation that would attempt to deter foreign libel lawsuits against American authors and publishers but left the door open to further negotiation about specific legislative action.
The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday passed a bill aimed at dulling the domestic effects of so-called "libel tourism," whereby plaintiffs seek out countries with heavy-handed defamation laws in which to sue over publications they don't like.
A libel tourism bill was re-introduced in the House last week by Rep. Peter King (R-NY).
The bill, H.R. 1304, would prevent U.S. courts from recognizing foreign libel judgments against U.S. defendants that are repugnant to the First Amendment. It would also create a cause of action for defendants to countersue the plaintiffs who bring those libel lawsuits.
