Foreshadowing from British history??

[bobbieinok]

I read somewhere that in the 19th century in Engand it was against the law to publish what was discussed, voted on, and decided in parliament.

I do not remember where I read this, and I do not know if it is true. I have always found this bit of info immensely chilling.$

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Not 19th century, but 18th

The punishing of proper publication ended around the same time as American independence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansard

[OnDoutside]

2. Preventing publication of unofficial parliamentary reports finally ended in 1771

http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentwork/communicating/overview/officialreport/

Preventing publication of unofficial parliamentary reports finally ended in 1771 following a legal battle by the radical MP and journalist John Wilkes against attempts to arrest several printers. Thereafter Parliament did not attempt to enforce a 1738 resolution preventing reporting of what was said in the chamber.




By the middle of the 1770s there were several newspapers being published in London, all of which covered the proceedings of Parliament.

By the late 18th century parliamentary reporting flourished, even though reporters were supposed to reconstruct debates from memory and not take notes. A ban on taking notes was lifted in the Commons in 1783 and later in the Lords.

Early parliamentary reporters included the writers Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Charles Dickens.

[bobbieinok]

3. Thanks to you both for the correction

I think I saw this mentioned in a novel. It just sounded so bizarre I never forgot it, even though I found it hard to believe that such a law existed.