Editorial & Comments Policy

We want to encourage constructive discussion on this site. But we do have some rules. Please read them.

The short version

• Opinions are welcomed, even strong or critical ones. You can comment even if you disagree with us.
• Personal attacks are not welcomed and may be taken down.
• If part of any comment breaks the law (including naming children or indirectly identifying them or anything we think might be defamatory) then that may be edited or removed.
• Repetitive, very long, or “off topic” comments are likely to be binned.
• Be polite to other commenters even if you disagree with them : its a conversation not a war.
• Our decisions about comments are final. Please don’t argue or complain.

The full version

1 You grant us a perpetual licence to reproduce your words in your comment and a name/web site link in attribution.

2 You acknowledge that a name, email address and IP address will be recorded and held by us on submission of your comment for so long as your comment remains on the site.

3 The email address and IP address will not be used by us for any purpose save those directly connected with the administration of the site and/or your comment(s). The email address and IP address will not be released or passed to third parties unless we are required to so so by court order. We may use the details to contact you if we receive a notice of complaint under Defamation Act 2013, as we will seek to rely on a Section 5 Defence in such circumstances.

4 We reserve the right to delete or edit comments without notice. The following is a non-exhaustive list of circumstances in which we will delete or edit comments:

• the comment is actually or potentially defamatory against an identifiable person.
• the comment constitutes advertising.
• the comment contains abuse directed at authors of the site, or other commenters, or an identifiable person.
• the comment is wholly irrelevant to the post under which it is made.
• the comment is, in the opinion of the editors, spam.
• the comment contains a link to a commercial website which is in our opinion not appropriate or merited.

5 The decision to edit or delete a comment is final.

6 We cannot offer advice on individual’s situations and cannot allow others to respond to comments containing individuals’ legal problems or situations. Comments by individuals seeking advice or assistance will be deleted without notice.

7 You acknowledge that you are the author of your comment and that the editors and other authors of the site take no responsibility for your comment. You are responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, omissions, and statements in your comment.

8 You agree that, if your comment or comments contain or allegedly contain defamatory phrases, you indemnify the editor and/or any authorised author of this site in respect of any and all costs and/or losses and/or damages incurred by them in respect of that comment or comments.

9 The editors of the site reserves the right to ban any commenter or contributor from posting further comments on what, in the opinion of the editors, is a breach of these conditions.

NB These rules were previously drafted in wiki form on the site, but we have moved them over to a conventional post as the format proved easier for users.