Part of Words on Monday
Curated by English PEN
The Human Rights Act has been called 'a charter for criminals'. Stories about the rights of rapists, paedophiles, failed asylum-seekers and hate preachers abound in both the tabloid and the broadsheet press. Such stories often turn out to be exaggerated, or based on a misunderstanding of the law. Yet the media continue to savage the Human Rights Act, turning the public against a piece of legislation which was intended to protect their rights and freedoms. Why is this Act so hated? Journalists in fact have much to gain from the Act, which enshrines the rights to freedom of expression and a free press. Yet they also have much to fear from the developing right to privacy, and the Act's emphasis on the right to reputation, which leads to enormous legal bills for newspapers which poke their noses into other people's business - whether or not their curiosity is in the public interest. Is the media's hostility to the Human Rights Act driven by commercial self-interest or a genuine concern for common sense? Does the Act support or detract from fundamental British liberties?
In a landmark discussion of the strange relationship between the Human Rights Act and the media, Anthony Lester QC, Liberal Democrat Peer and a primary architect of the Act, joins Bob Satchwell, Director of the Society of Editors, which represents both newspaper editors and broadcasters, Alan Rusbridger, Editor of The Guardian, and Sir Christopher Meyer, outgoing chair of the Press Complaints Commission, in a debate chaired by Jonathan Heawood, Director of English PEN.
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Date: Monday 23 March
Time: 19:00
Venue: Hall One
Please note that online booking closes 90 minutes prior to the start of the performance.
