The Independent joins 120 high-profile names backing calls to end silencing lawsuits
The Independent joins calls for Starmer to introduce anti-SLAPP measures
- The Independent and 126 other high-profile figures have urged Sir Keir Starmer to include anti-SLAPP provisions in the upcoming King's Speech.
- Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are abusive legal actions designed to silence critical speech, with the UK identified as a primary originator.
- The letter, signed by editors, lawyers, academics, and civil society groups, calls for dedicated parliamentary time to introduce robust anti-SLAPP measures.
- Signatories argue that without such action, individuals speaking out on public interest issues remain vulnerable to costly and stressful legal challenges.
- While the 2023 Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act included some anti-SLAPP provisions, they are deemed 'limited in scope and flawed in approach' by critics.
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