Petition · past parliament
Make publishing a false statement illegal
Closed
165 signatures
What the petition asks
A publication that makes a factually incorrect statement – for whatever reason – and is proved to have done so, will have to publish a correction in the same prominence, location and size as the original false statement.
In a democracy, the key for debating and arguing ideas is a respect for the facts on which we base our opinions and views of the world. It’s the level playing field we must all respect. Opinions, predictions, and forecasts are quite different and would not be covered by such a law so long as they are clearly noted as such.
This proposed law is not intended to cover persons as that is already covered by the law of slander and libel.
This proposed law is not intended to cover persons as that is already covered by the law of slander and libel.
Timeline
| 9 Aug 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 9 Feb 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
165
Status
Closed
Opened
9 Aug 2016
Closed
9 Feb 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.