Melinda Tankard Reist to Sue Over Religious Comment
Melinda Tankard Reist, a social commentator and public figure in Australia, has warned of legal action against a blogger who she says defamed her in one of her blog posts.
Tankard Reist, is an advocate for women and girls, who is known for her work concerning the “objectification of women and sexualisation of girls and working to address violence against women,” an excerpt from her website reads.
The legal wheels were set in motion after liberal blogger, Jennifer Wilson, characterized the woman’s activist as a ''fundamentalist Christian'' was contacted by lawyers representing Tankard Reist and asked her to apologize or risk being sued.
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Tankard Reist explains that it is not being called Christian she objects too; rather it deals with the claim that she is ''deceptive and duplicitous about her religious beliefs.”
''Things have gone too far, people think they can just trash you,'' Tankard Reist said. ''Why does being a blogger exempt you from the laws of defamation?''
While Tankard Reist has not issued official court proceedings she complains that social media has strengthened the level of criticism against advocacy figures such as herself.
She has sought legal advice from Canberra defamation lawyer Ric Lucas, who represented Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and former treasurer Peter Costello and their wives in successful litigation against publisher Random House over false statements printed in a memoir by Bob Ellis, according to The Age.
Barrister Wendy Harris, a lawyer in Australia, explained the same laws apply whether someone published a book or sent a message via Twitter, blog or Facebook post.
''Something is defamation if it tends to lower someone in the eyes of reasonable and right-thinking people,'' she explained according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Wilson runs the website No Place For Sheep, a description on the website explains that it is an “eclectic blog that covers politics, society, satire, fiction and fun stuff” and posts different commentary concerning these various social aspects.
Wilson also explains that her criticisms are within the legal realm stating that the information that is found in the public domain is all she uses in her commentary.
''I believe someone who makes public comment about morality really needs to be upfront about where they are coming from,” Wilson said in a blog post.
