Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Are opinions libel?

Interesting problem. If a blogger publishes a critical opinion, having described accurately something that has happened, is s/he libelling anyone? I seriously doubt it. The defence against libel is that the facts are true.

Why then should someone ask for a blog to be "scrubbed" of recognisable names or further posts not published until they've been scrutinised and approved by that someone? Someone, I might add, who is not the blogger's employer?

I'm not the blogger involved, incidentally. The blog is probably just going to change to a private status.

But it does make me wonder.