A new attempt is being made in Parliament to pass legislation designed to punish group libel in Britain, it was learned here today.
An amendment providing for a maximum punishment of two years imprisonment for group libel was moved yesterday by Sir Leslie Plummer, M.P., in a Parliamentary committee considering a new libel and slander bill. The amendment was seconded by Barnett Janner.
Explaining his reasons for offering the amendment, Sir Leslie said that five or six fascist newspapers are being sold openly in Britain, and that they repeat almost exactly all the Nazi slanders against the Jews. He declared that it is the moral duty and responsibility of a democracy to protect its minorities, adding that “unfortunately, abuses against them continue.” He told the M.P.’s that cases have been recorded of people in the East End of London–a predominantly Jewish district–being incited to pull the beards of Jews and to knock them down and mistreat them.
In his seconding speech, Mr. Janner said that the matter was much graver than most people are able to understand.
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