Over-zealous laws ‘a threat to freedom of Britain’s Press’

THE freedom of the Press is at risk from Britain’s ‘heavyhanded’ laws, a campaign group has warned.

Reporters Without Borders sounded the alarm over ‘worrying trends’ in the UK that make it ‘ one of the worstranked Western European countries’ for press freedom.

It said Britain had robust independent media but was limited by ‘heavy-handed’ laws – often designed to protect national security but which go too far.

The organisation singled out ‘Section 40’ and the Government’s failure to repeal it.

The legislation, passed as part of the 2013 Crime and Courts Act, has never been triggered.

It forces publishers which do not sign up to a state-sponsored regulator to pay legal costs of anyone who brings a libel case against them.

Reporters Without Borders issued the warning after publishing its annual index which ranks countries by how much press freedom they offer.

The UK is ranked 33rd, behind nations including Ghana, Latvia and Namibia – a rise of seven places from last year. But this was put down to a decline in press freedom worldwide.