Moves to include in a new law of libel and slander now being considered by the standing committee of the House of Commons provisions to punish group libels were opposed by the Government this week-end on the grounds that they would infringe on freedom of speech.
Amendments to the proposed defamation law which would provide punishment of up to two years’ imprisonment for racial or religious libels were submitted by Sir Leslie Plummer, Laborite M.P., who told the committee that slanders against the Jews almost exactly paralleling those used by the Nazis, were being peddled by five or six fascist papers in England.
In opposing the amendments, Sir Reginald Manningham Buller, the Solicitor General, said he hoped no one who spoke against the clauses would be accused of not understanding the Jewish viewpoint regarding racial attacks. He said it was a fallacy to assume that the people of Germany and Britain were similar and would react similarly to anti-racial propaganda.
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