> In the 16th century an additional crime of seditious libel was introduced – statements intended to incite rebellion against a state or monarch. This was punis

> In the 16th century an additional crime of seditious libel was introduced – statements intended to incite rebellion against a state or monarch. This was punishable by the removal of the offender’s hand. An offence of slander entailed the removal of one’s ears. > Few would argue that libel law shouldn’t exist. Well, maybe more people should argue that, after all, mostly the other few benefit from all this huge power imbalance of being able to chop someone's hand off (or do the modern financial ruin alternative)