Calls to criminalise ‘untrue’ web claims

A High Court judge has called on the Government to introduce legislation making it a criminal offence to post “patently untrue” allegations against any person on the internet.

The comments were made by Mr Justice Michael Peart, who granted solicitor Damien Tansey various orders effectively terminating the operation of rate-your-solicitor.com.

Mr Tansey, represented by Richard Humphreys SC, brought defamation proceedings arising out of comments posted about him, against John Gill and Ann Vogelaar, who, the court heard, were running the site, as well as the internet service provider hosting the website.