Comments on: Owen Bonnici has forgotten his promise to repeal the criminal defamation laws https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2016/12/owen-bonnici-forgotten-promise-repeal-criminal-defamation-laws/ Daphne Caruana Galizia is a journalist working in Malta. Thu, 08 Dec 2016 23:29:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Major Tom https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2016/12/owen-bonnici-forgotten-promise-repeal-criminal-defamation-laws/#comment-3110500 Thu, 08 Dec 2016 23:29:00 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=87103#comment-3110500 These days, if certain people are involved, then police investigation is an unthinkable prospect. There are times when the police actually seem to be trying to conceal facts and threaten whistleblowers- just as in the case of medical visas. The prosecution of a journalist who describes a lying politician as a liar may therefore still be successful because of some missing detail.

Such a political stance, in countries where the police force is not allowed to work independently, may effectively mute many journalists. In countries where the police force is independent, the need to change anything is not as urgent.

I have the impression that what protects journalists at times is the possibility that the defence could ask for some ‘secret’ documents to be tabled.

]]>