The decision by the UK publishers not to distribute Amanda Knox's autobiography has been interpreted in some media circles as being another example of the detrimental impact of our so called draconian libel laws. In reality, the publisher's decision is more likely to have been based on an understandable concern not to expose themselves to potential contempt of Court as well as libel consequences, pending the outcome of the forthcoming re-trial in Italy.

It's all too easy to pretend you're on the side of the righteous when you're naming names, but if you have no idea whether you're in fact spreading a grave libel rather than exposing the truth, you are doing nobody a public service.