The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 60th Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on 26 September 2011 in Taipei, Taiwan, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling for the repeal of criminal defamation laws.
Archaic laws criminalising defamation remain in the statutes in many nations, waiting only for an overzealous prosecutor to decide to make use of them. These laws, often regressive relics of the colonial past, have no legitimate aim insofar as they can be used to target and suppress legitimate news stories, or to punish journalists reporting on matters of public interest. Even applied in moderation, such laws have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and result in punishments – including imprisonment, work bans and excessive fines – that have no place in modern societies.
The IPI members resolved that allegations of defamation should not be treated as criminal matters, and that civil remedies are sufficient to deal with them in line with international standards that call for the least restrictive sanctions in defamation cases.
Finally, the IPI members called on nations to recognize that a greater degree of scrutiny – and criticism – should be allowed with respect to the actions of public figures.