UK: Government passes first law containing an anti-SLAPP provision, but legal protection is limited to speaking out on economic crimes
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"A landmark moment – but we can’t stop here", 26 Oct 2023
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition welcomes the passage of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECB2), which includes the first anti-SLAPP provision in UK law. While this is undoubtedly a landmark moment, it is limited to those speaking out on economic crime. It is an important step towards stamping out Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), but it falls short of providing universal protection from SLAPPs...
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition was formed to counter the use and spread of SLAPPs in the UK... SLAPPs are not isolated to economic crime alone. They are used against public watchdogs speaking out on a range of different topics from sexual harassment and violence to housing, and medical care to public reviews of services to name but a few. Few aspects of society are untouched.
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition, with the support of leading legal and industry experts, has created the Model UK Anti-SLAPP Law to offer a simple yet expansive way to protect free expression for all across the UK. We call on the UK Government to live up to its commitment made last summer and bring forward a standalone anti-SLAPP bill to ensure everyone is free to speak up and realise their right to free expression...