The UK government has published its proposed Defamation Bill which is available for comment until 10 June 2011. The stated aim of the proposed reforms is to strike the right balance between protection of freedom of speech and protection of reputation. The Bill includes a new statutory defence to an action for defamation of responsible publication on a matter of public interest and the common law defences of justification and of fair comment are replaced with new statutory defences of truth, and of honest opinion. It is also proposed that defamation trials are heard without a jury. The Bill is applicable to England and Wales only. Defamation is a devolved matter for Scotland and Northern Ireland.