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Sat 01 Jan 2010Defamation Act will facilitate more sensible, efficient justice
ANALYSIS:ARGUABLY THE longest running saga concerning legislative reform finally came to an end during the summer when the President signed the Defamation Bill 2006 into law (it came into force yesterday), writes ANDREW O'RORKE
The impetus to change the law on defamation originated in 1987. Douglas Gageby, on his retirement as editor of this newspaper, engaged with the National Newspapers of Ireland (the representative body of newspaper publishers) – in particular its co-ordinating director Frank Cullen – to promote and further this reform. A report was commissioned from two leading academics, Kevin Boyle and Marie McGonagle, which was presented to the then attorney general and now Chief Justice John Murray.
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