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Sat 06 Jun 2007Leech judge gives more leeway to media on libel defenceA High Court judge has set out a more liberal interpretation of the law in relation to the circumstances in which the media may defend the publication of certain material, even if that material is incorrect, on grounds that publication was in the public interest.Mr Justice Peter Charleton said he believed there was a general public interest in the public receiving information - even if that information turned out to be incorrect - on matters of public interest, such as their safety and security and their right to judge public representatives fairly "on the basis of real information".