Most never get that far, because nervous publications settle beforehand, while the spectre of defamation law has a chilling effect on what gets published in the first place.

Slipping an amendment into another bill, threatening in the process the good work done in reforming defamation law, was sneaky and sinister.

Recent cases have addressed defamation law and the internet.

Changes made to the defamation laws last year enable websites to be forced to provide the details of people writing potentially libellous comments.

First, presumably, because of the defamation laws, and second because they, too, are fans.