by shrimper » Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:49 am
Please don't take this as an attempt to defend the person subject of this court case.
But DO be very careful what you say.
The very specific legal dangers are not in naming the individual - he has already been publicly named and identified.
The dangers lie primarily in a couple of areas.
One is giving out any information that might lead, even indirectly (or by what they call 'jigsaw' identification, which means one person giving out one little bit of info, another giving out another and someone being able to put them together) to identifying the child victim.
This board could be in serious trouble if that occurred.
The other is - you may find it difficult to comprehend - defaming the convicted person. Yes he has been tried and convicted of that particular offence but if you imply that he has been involved in other incidents or activities not covered by this case you (or this board) may again find itself in legal difficulties with the very real possibility of libel action.
There may be defences to such actions but that could involve someone - and you're all fairly easily traceable - actually having to go through the process of seeking legal assistance to make those defences which, at the very least, would be time consuming and worrying for the individual or the owners of this board.
Most people will not be aware of the laws surrounding libel and defamation (even slander if you're talking about it in a pub).
I am - it's part of my job.
Please take my advice and be very careful.
You can comment about this individual case, which has been tried and concluded in a court of law (as long as there's nothing that might lead to the identification of the minor - and as long as nothing that WASN'T included in the court case is introduced).
But if you stray beyond that, then you (and it may be YOU personally, it may be this board) are in tricky waters.
Is the glass half full or half empty? Mmmm? hard to say - but it does look like there's room for more beer!