Current English libel law gives robust protection to reputation at the expense of freedom of speech. Its “chilling effect” on what people are prepared to publish has been aggravated by uncertainty about whether defences can be relied upon, and by conditional fee agreements that permit claimants’ lawyers to be unjustly enriched at the expense of writers and publishers. Claimants have been able to pursue claims where publication has caused them no substantial harm, and large corporations have brought actions against NGOs and newspapers without having to prove financial loss.

The scientific community is worried that the law threatens open exchange of critical views. A recent Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee report, Press Standards, Privacy and Libel, concluded that these fears are well founded. The recent case of Simon Singh, who spent two years and thousands of pounds to establish if he could defend his opinion about chiropractice as “fair comment”, shows the need for clearer defences.

Full article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7134463.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=2270657

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