The attempt by Prime Minister Bruce Golding to sue United States network ABC for having referred to him as 'a known criminal affiliate' of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has hit a major snag.

The US Senate on Monday voted to protect its journalists from judgements that undermine that country's guarantee of free speech.

The bill has been sent to the House for ratification.

Information Minister Daryl Vaz has said the prime minister's legal counsel has written to ABC seeking redress for its claims.

conspiracy

Golding expressed outrage at the claim and has said that attempts to link him personally with the alleged drug kingpin "were clearly part of a conspiracy to undermine the duly elected Government of Jamaica".

The Senate's approval of the bill means that the US federal courts would be prevented from recognising or enforcing a foreign judgement for defamation that is inconsistent with the free speech guarantee in the US constitution.

Defendants in foreign cases could obtain a US court order declaring that a foreign judgement would not be enforceable under American law.

Chief sponsor Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, said the bill would prevent US courts from becoming a tool to undermine that country's constitution.

"The import of the bill before the US Senate is that, foreign judgements (non-US) from countries which do not share the same or equivalent constitutional guarantees and protection for freedom of speech will not be either recognised or enforceable in the US," local attorney Walter Scott said.