Northern Ireland: Defamation Law

Debate between Lord Alderdice and Viscount Younger of Leckie

Wednesday 14th October 2015 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I appreciate my noble friend’s concern and frustration about the law in Northern Ireland becoming out of step with that in England and Wales. However, as I explained earlier, the law on defamation is a devolved issue and so it is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. However, the Executive asked the Northern Ireland Law Commission to conduct a review of defamation law in Northern Ireland, and following the closure of the commission, which my noble friend mentioned, I understand that the acting First Minister has recently confirmed that Dr Andrew Scott has been asked to complete its review.

[Lord Alderdice (LD)]

My Lords, one of the strange, paradoxical but not unusual things about this was that it was a Unionist DFP Minister, Sammy Wilson, who refused to allow harmonisation with the rest of the United Kingdom. Is it not a little disappointing that when something such as this happens, the Government simply sit back and wait until the Administration come to their senses? Is it not possible for the Government to engage with all the political parties in the Executive and press them to understand the importance of this matter, rather than simply sit back until people hopefully wake up, perhaps too late?

[Viscount Younger of Leckie]

I am very aware that the noble Lord, Lord McNally, who may or may not be in his place, was instrumental in pressing the benefits of the Defamation Act on the Northern Ireland Executive. The noble Lord, Lord Alderdice, will be more than aware of the Sewel convention and to that extent, Parliament remains sovereign. However, the UK Government will not normally pass primary legislation relating to areas in which a devolved legislature has legislative competence except with the agreement of that devolved legislature in the form of an LCM.