Users will remember that there is a caveat on the email entry page - the editor reserves the right to edit contributions and in some cases deny publication according to listed criteria. Both these sanctions have been invoked in the past.

In particular, I have had to decide whether to apply these sanctions about emails that might be considered offensive. This inevitably is a personal matter since I have no desire to discourage communication, especially from young people. Until recently contributors have accepted my decisions.

However, one individual has announced dissatisfaction with a couple of recent emails, implied they are defamatory and wants them deleted. As a former magazine editor I am familiar with the law of libel and in my view these robustly expressed emails are not libellous. Alas, this is not enough. If this individual decides to pursue this matter in the courts it would be a lengthy and expensive procedure even if I won; I am unwilling to get involved since I have other work which would suffer. The threat of proceedings is enough. I’m well aware that closing this facility is a bad day for freedom of speech and that this is all the more galling in view of the fact that others – equally strong-minded – have accepted my judgments in the past.