A solution from the north

Other countries use different systems to protect a person's good name

Other countries use different systems to protect a person's good name. In Sweden and elsewhere in Scandanavia, for instance, courts grant only small amounts in damages, and most people prefer to go to the Press Ombudsman.The ombudsman mediates between a person offended and the newspaper and tries to find a solution to the problem. That might be a correction, a right of reply or an apology.If people with complaints opt to go to law, then they cannot go the Press Ombudsman. The vast majority of people prefer to use the Press Ombudsman, a free system that does not employ expensive lawyers and goes a long way to restoring a person's good name. It has been employed in Sweden since the early years of this century.A similar system was offered by the newspaper industry in this country and recommended in the report of the Inquiry into the Newspaper Industry, established by the last government.It was suggested that in response to the reform of the laws of defamation in line with the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission, the newspaper industry would establish a voluntary system for dealing with complaints from the public.