On the Official Secrets Act, the committee “remains concerned” that powers under the act have been “exercised to frustrate former employees of the crown from bringing into the public domain issues of genuine public interest, and can be exercised to prevent the media from publishing such matters”. The committee found the act is used even when issues of national security are not involved.

The 2006 Terrorism Act’s “broad and vague” definition of the offence of “encouragement of terrorism” was also criticised by the committee.

Media law specialist Mark Stephens, of legal firm Finers Stephens Innocent, said: “I think it is quite remarkable that the UK government has drawn these deficiencies in our libel laws to the attention of the United Nations, while at the same time libel lawyers in this country have remained insouciant to the deficiencies highlighted by the UN.”