A crucial week for the cause of free expression

For those who care about free expression in the UK, and particularly the reform of our invidious libel laws, this is a crucial week. Today and tomorrow, the UK Supreme Court hears the Times’s attempt to overturn an appeal court ruling in a libel case brought against it by Metropolitan Police officer Gary Flood.
 
On Wednesday the Joint Committee on the Draft Defamation Bill produce its first report. There are grounds for hope that it will suggest strengthening some key areas, paving the way for full legislation early in 2012 — if the government can be persuaded to find parliamentary time. They should, as this will be a win-win for the coalition government, making it harder for sheikhs and oligarchs to use English courts to silence their critics around the world.
 
In the meantime, there are still a number of tricky cases on the stocks. The Flood case involves allegations (later found to be untrue) that the policeman concerned had taken bribes.