European Court overrules UK in the McLibel case

[Zoid]

http://www.mcspotlight.org/

[The Mad Monk]

Hello. And welcome. To McSpotlight. The biggest, loudest, most red, most read Anti-McDonald's extravaganza the world has ever seen. Anything you could possibly want to know about McDonald's or McLibel nestles somewhere in our 21,000 files. Don't get us wrong, though, we're not telling you to give up your Big Macs. We just provide the info for you to judge for yourself.


whodunnit McSpotlight is constructed by the McInformation Network, an independent network of volunteers working from 16 countries. Email us, if you like, or join the Mailing list to get all the latest news.

McSpotlight opened for non-business in Feb 1996 and now gets well over a million hits a month. We like to claim that we've had the most press coverage of any website in the world ever, which may well be true. And the most awards, which almost certainly isn't.

It all started with the McLibel Trial. Of which much, much, much, much, much more.

and why. Yes, we appreciate that McDonald's only sell hamburgers and loads of other corporations are just as bad. But that's not the point. They have been used as a symbol of all multinationals and big business relentlessly pursuing their profits at the expense of anything that stands in their way.

McDonald's were chosen for this dubious honour because a) everyone's heard of them, b) they're bullies who threaten legal action on almost anyone who dares criticise them, c) there's stacks of in-depth information available about them (thanks to the research that's gone into the McLibel Trial), d) the nature of their business means loads of contemporary issues are relevant, e) they pioneered various unwelcome practices which other companies have followed and f) they take themselves far too seriously.

[The Mad Monk]

Regardless of the merits of the case -- or lack therof, I know nothing of it -- the larger question is, should nations give over authority in internal matters to supernational entities?

[Agathon]

McVictory!

[Zoid]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Regardless of the merits of the case -- or lack therof, I know nothing of it -- the larger question is, should nations give over authority in internal matters to supernational entities?

Yes.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I always told you guys that British libel laws were bad . I wonder how the Brits respond to this, because IIRC, there were some Brits here defending the burden of proof being on the accused.

[Agathon]

Death to the right wing McBastards!!

[Odin]

Originally posted by Agathon
Death to the right wing McBastards!!

[Starchild]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Regardless of the merits of the case -- or lack therof, I know nothing of it -- the larger question is, should nations give over authority in internal matters to supernational entities?

Why not? The key word there is give. We gave the European court of Human Rights the ability to overrule domestic legal decisions when we signed up to it, its not like the authority is being imposed on us or we've had our legal rights stolen.

And just to cut anyone off before they mention the EU. The European Court of Human Rights isn't a part of the EU, it's a part of the Council of Europe. The European Union's highest court is the European Court of Justice, an entirely different beast altogether.

[chequita guevara]

Mmmm, free chicken strips.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Mmmm, free chicken strips.

[chequita guevara]

Stupid McDonald's website, doesn't have their promo on it.

[C0ckney]

the main implication of this decision is that people fighting libel actions should have access to legal aid. personally i don't think an awful lot of libel claimants and defendents should get anywhere near legal aid, and these jokers certainly shouldn't.

[Provost Harrison]

Well they were sued (and so it would seem incorrectly) and if they do not have the funds to defend themselves then they should be given legal aid.

Another example of how the anti-EU camp are just full of bullsh*t...a lot of the EU stuff is far more proactive in terms of human rights than our own, yet they are classed by the Tories et al as 'meddling in our affairs'...the affairs of big businesses rights to shaft us over? An example of nationalism being used to shepherd the stupid...

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Well said, that Provost. The Libel courts have been the playground of the rich for too long.