The law on defamation allows someone to make a claim each time a libel is published. However the internet now allows content to be updated, cached, linked, archived and, some might argue, republished every time a web page is requested. So should each publication of defamatory material still justify a separate claim ('multiple publication' rule) or should only one claim be allowed ('single publication' rule) – and how might that work?

Currently, a defamation claim has to be made within a year of publication. But the internet now allows content to be accessed immediately and for many years into the future. So does this time limit need to be changed and how might that work?

Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice, said:

'Existing defamation law needs to be updated so it is fit for the modern age, and it is important we listen to views on the best way to achieve this.

'Freedom to hold and express opinions is a right that is vital to democracy, as is respect for the rights and freedoms of others. How these principles are balanced in the fast-changing internet age is a fascinating debate.'