Now, at last, we face the possibility of the libel law being genuinely reformed. I said at a seminar recently that it would never happen. Lord Lester, one of the bill's architects, promised that it would.
Well, it still has to pass through parliament, but Lester's bet is looking firmer than mine.
The draft defamation bill, introduced today by the justice secretary Ken Clarke, will make it harder to sue for libel, it will choke off "libel tourism" and it will end the "inequality of arms" between big companies and individuals.
I am particularly delighted that the bill includes a "public interest" defence in order to strengthen the position of people who raise concerns about malpractice or dangerous products.
The other significant change will be a simplification of court processes, thus reducing the cost for defendants.
The reforms will be welcomed by journalists, book publishers and academics. And I whole-heartedly agree with the sentiments of Tracey Brown, managing director of Sense About Science, who greeted the draft bill by saying: "The government has recognised the harmful effects of UK libel laws on science and medicine and proposes introducing a statutory public interest defence."
But she, like every other enthusiast for this reform, knows there is a way to go yet.
"As the consultation recognises," she said, "there is still work to be done to ensure that we end up with a law that enables us all to focus on the question 'is it true?' rather than 'will they sue?'"
