David Norris (Independent)

It did not. On that occasion the Minister suggested a situation wherein one might make a negative comment about a company only for its profits to rise.

In the financial world a company's reputation can be assessed in financial terms and it is extraordinary that in several sections of this Bill we are weakening the defences of ordinary people, the "natural person" that was referred to in the Bill. This section will enable corporations to take actions. I cannot see the logic of this and, a fine lawyer though he is, Mr. McDowell did not ultimately seem to see it either. Perhaps some additional reasons have arisen in the meantime and the Minister can produce them for us but I cannot see them.

The language of this section is also absurd, for example, the words, "apply to a body corporate as they apply to a natural person, and a body corporate may bring a defamation action under this Act". Are we talking about a body corporate experiencing hurt feelings?