Freedom of expression in Britain is threatened by two European institutions.
The Council of Europe has proposed that anyone criticised in an online medium be guaranteed a right of reply. Newspaper web sites and personal blogs would be affected if the proposal became law in Britain, in addition to web sites such as the Centre for Citizenship’s.
The web sites found to have expressed criticism would be obliged to post the “replies” at their own expense. Victims of libel have recourse to legal proceedings at present. In Britain the threat of this expensive legal action is often used to gag unfriendly comment. If the Council has its way, however, a fundamental underpinning of democratic society would be further undermined by bureaucratic interference. Such an extraordinary proposal is possible only from a body that lacks a basic understanding of the requirements of a free society.
In a unrelated development another institution, the European Commission, is considering a ban on TV programmes and advertisements that the courts considered sexist or which do “not represent human dignity.” The Commission says that it wishes to stop mass media portrayals of stereotypical women or men and “unacceptable images of men and women affecting human dignity.” The Commission will not make a final decision on the proposal until after its summer break.