Latest news with #HouseofRepresentativesJudiciaryCommittee
Sky News
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Trump ally Representative Jim Jordan to criticise Online Safety Act in meeting with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle
An ally of Donald Trump and critic of the Online Safety Act is to raise his concerns about the UK legislation with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle on Wednesday, Sky News understands. It comes after Mr Kyle was criticised on Tuesday morning for claiming Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was "on the side" of predators, including the disgraced television host Jimmy Savile, for opposing the act. Representative Jim Jordan is chair of the powerful House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, and is currently part of a bipartisan group meeting governments in Europe on the topic of digital regulation. In a thread on social media recently, Mr Jordan called the Online Safety Act the "UK's online censorship law". He added: "It allows the British government to dictate how social media companies must censor so-called 'disinformation' 'misinformation', and hate speech." Mr Jordan also heavily criticised regulator Ofcom - which is the watchdog for the law - for "targeting" and "harassing" American companies. He is set to meet them on Wednesday too. Sky News understands he will make his views known to Mr Kyle on Wednesday. 6:45 The law was passed in 2023 under the Conservative government, but only came into force last Friday. It puts a duty on technology companies to protect children from harmful content, including pornography, terrorism, and violent content, with businesses facing sanctions if they fail to comply. But Mr Jordan - a Republican - champions an American perspective that laws from other countries should not apply to US businesses, even if they operate overseas. He said on social media that "in many cases", British laws "run counter to fundamental American free speech principles". While the UK managed to get a favourable trade deal with the US, attempts to punish US technology companies could be taken with a dim view in the White House during further talks. Speaking next to Donald Trump on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer defended the law. He said: "We're not censoring anyone. We've got some measures which are there to protect children, in particular, from sites like suicide sites." The prime minister added: "I personally feel very strongly that we should protect our young teenagers, and that's what it usually is, from things like suicide sites. I don't see that as a free speech issue, I see that as child protection." Mr Trump joked his own social media platform, Truth Social, would not get banned, saying: "I only say good things about him and this country." A Judiciary Committee spokesperson declined to comment. Sky News understands that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology wants to discuss a range of topics in the meeting.
Associated Press
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Alabama lawmakers advance bill that would make it harder to sue police who use excessive force
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Divisive legislation that would expand legal immunity for police officers who use excessive force or kill someone in the line of duty advanced in the Alabama legislature on Wednesday, sparking outcry among civil rights attorneys and activists who say that it would make civil and criminal prosecution functionally impossible. Existing Alabama law already offers enhanced legal protections for law enforcement, but proponents of the 'back the blue' bill say that it will increase the recruitment and retention of officers and make police safer. Police and civilians alike are currently entitled to a 'stand your ground' hearing in criminal cases where a judge can determine whether the defendant acted in self defense. The new bill would allow an additional immunity hearing for officers accused of criminal wrongdoing, where a judge will decide if a case can proceed based on whether the officer acted recklessly outside the scope of law enforcement duties. As the bill is currently written, even if the judge initially denies the officer immunity in a criminal case, defense attorneys for the officers can repeat their argument for immunity in front of a jury. Unlike civilians, police are also currently protected from civil liability unless an officer acts 'willfully, maliciously, fraudulently, in bad faith, beyond his or her authority, or under a mistaken interpretation of the law.' The new bill would limit liability further to mirror the standards used the criminal immunity hearing. Norma Sanders, the president of the Lee County NAACP in the eastern part of the state, said at a public hearing in February that the organization gets complaints regularly about police brutality, but that it is already difficult to get legal accountability under current law. 'We know that many of the police officers receive little to no punishment when they commit a crime, because they are hiding behind the badge and say that they feared for their lives,' Sanders said. The bill is one of several in Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey 's crime package that she said is as a priority for this legislative session. Republican Rep. Rex Reynolds, who sponsored the bill, said that it is essential for officer safety. 'We need that same confidence within our law enforcement officers that they can perform their duties — sometimes at 21 years old — and put them in a situation where within three seconds they have to make a discretionary authority decision,' Reynolds said. Democrats on the state House of Representatives Judiciary Committee argued that it made officers functionally immune from criminal prosecution, and pointed to several high-profile police killings in the state that have not resulted in guilty verdicts. Former Alabama police officer Jim Taylor testified at the February hearing that the bill has the potential to undermine an already strained relationship between some citizens and law enforcement. 'The trust in law enforcement is conditioned on the ability to hold officers accountable for their actions. That's what builds trust in our communities with our law enforcement representatives,' Taylor said. ___
