The controversial news and current affairs web-registration requirement in the newly proposed Media and Defamation Bill is to be removed, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici announced this evening.

Traditional news media, such newspapers, radio and television stations, are able to register themselves on a voluntary bases.

Minister Bonnici was in attendance of a question and answer session with the local media to hear its proposals on the conditions laid out in the revamped press laws.

The three English and independent media houses all expressed concern regarding the increase of maximum civil damages from €11,700 to €20,000. It proposed capping the damages at €15,000 and retaining the services of the court of Magistrates rather than the cases being heard before judges.

In addition, a proposal on the side of the government related to the introduction of mediation, where it said that should a person who feels libelled received a published apology by a newsroom, as a result of mediation, but still wants to go ahead with a civil suit, the damages would be capped at €7,000.

This was met with some resistance by the media outlets however further discussions are still to take place.

Dr Bonnici also said that the protection of sources was to be extended to anyone doing journalistic activity.

The Institute of Maltese Journalists played a leading and fundamental role in discussions with the government that led to the changes announced by the minister this evening.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said that after proposing a law that exists in countries such as Russia, China and Bangladesh, the government is withdrawing from its original stand after public uproar.

The law as presented by the government did not make sense from the start as it limited freedom of expression. Today's u-turn shows that the government has lost all sense of direction, the PN said.