The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security notes the judgement released today on the defamation case brought by Chau Chak Wing against Fairfax over an article by John Garnault.
The Chair Mr Andrew Hastie stated that 'This judgment will be carefully analysed. Generally speaking, we are concerned about the impact that defamation laws in Australia are having on responsible journalism that informs Australians about important national security issues.'
Mr Hastie noted that 'The ability to report freely and fairly on national security is a vital part of our democracy. Australia's democratic institutions – including our free media – must be protected. We take this responsibility very seriously and will continue to work as a committee to uphold Australian sovereignty and interests.'
