Private Eye Award, Rutland County Councils Chilling Response to their award of legal bully of the year

Private Eye Award, Rutland County Councils Chilling Response to
their award of legal bully of the year

http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=rotten_boroughs

Those Rotten Boroughs Awards in full Municipal mischief, Issue 1357 LEGAL BULLIES OF THE YEAR Runners-up Scarborough borough council threatened to close down a website, Real Whitby, which had carried embarrassing stories about councillors. Chief legal officer Lisa Dixon demanded that “defamatory and untrue” material be removed. Real Whitby asked for examples, but Dixon could not provide any. WinnersRutland county council, which set aside £90,000 of taxpayers’ money to seek an injunction against three of its own councillors (the “Rutland Anti-Corruption Party”) who had been asking awkward questions. The council tested the water by prosecuting another critic, blogger Martin Brookes, for “harassing and stalking” chief exec Helen Briggs. District judge John Temperley found Brookes not guilty, declaring: “Freedom of expression is an essential function of a democratic society. It is applicable also to those who offend and shock.” A hero on the bench!