The British Chiropractic Association has dropped its libel action against the science writer Simon Singh.

Dr Singh was being sued by the organisation because of comments he had made about the effectiveness of chiropractic in the Guardian in 2008.

The case itself had sparked an intense debate about the role of libel actions in areas of scientific controversy.

Dr Singh recently won an appeal that would have allowed him to use the fair comment defence in the case.

On Thursday, the website of William McCormick QC, one of the barristers acting for Simon Singh, said the British Chiropractic Association has served a “Notice of Discontinuance”. This means the case is now over.

Dr Singh said he was hugely relieved, but expressed his annoyance that libel actions continued to be used to block what he viewed as legitimate scientific inquiry and debate.

It remains to be seen how the legal costs will be divided.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8621880.stm

The British Humanist Association has supported the Libel Reform Campaign surrounding the BCA’s case against Simon Singh.