National Petition for Libel Law Reform

Add your voice www.libelreform.org

***UPDATE 8th March 2010*** Read today's libel stories released as part of Big Libel Week here

***UPDATE 5th March 2010*** Has your MP signed EDM 423 for libel law reform? More here

***UPDATE 24th February 2010*** Culture, Media and Sports Select Committee report on Press Standards, Privacy and Libel is released today. More here

***UPDATE 23rd February 2010*** Simon Singh's hearing in the Court of Appeal. More here

***UPDATE 18th February 2010*** 'Science on Trial' on BBC Radio 4 at 21.00 tonight. More here

Older news here.

We have joined with English PEN and Index on Censorship in a coalition to campaign for libel reform. English PEN and Index on Censorship launched their 'Free Speech Is Not For Sale' report in early November. It detailed the chilling effect of English libel law on freedom of expression in the UK and across the world. Following the case of the science writer Simon Singh being sued for libel for an article in the Guardian, Sense About Science's campaign for scientific and academic freedom from libel threats has attracted nearly 20,000 supporters. Together, as a coalition, we are campaigning for major libel law reform.

This campaign takes over from the work we have been doing to Keep Libel Laws out of Science (for more, see below). England's libel laws are unjust, against the public interest and internationally criticised - there is urgent need for reform. For the first time in over a century we have an opportunity to change our unfair and repressive libel laws. We are calling on politicians to support a bill for major reform of the libel laws now, in the interests of fairness and free speech.

Tracey Brown, Managing Director, Sense About Science: "We have to show politicians that small tinkering with the libel laws won't do - we need a real public interest defence. Otherwise, there will be more cases like those against Simon Singh and Peter Wilmshurst, and the libel laws will continue to be the tools of well-funded bullies who want to silence criticism."

For more information contact Sile Lane on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 020 7478 4380.

How did this campaign begin?

The Keep Libel Laws out of Science campaign was launched following the use of the English libel laws to silence critical discussion of medical practice and scientific evidence discouraging debate, denying the public access to the full picture and encouraging the use of the courts to silence critics. The British Chiropractic Association has sued Simon Singh for libel. The scientific community would have preferred that it had defended its position about chiropractic through an open discussion in the medical literature or mainstream media.

On 4th June 2009 Simon Singh announced that he was applying to appeal the judge's recent pre-trial ruling in this case, in conjunction with the launch of this support campaign to defend the right of the public to read the views of scientists and writers.

Over 20,000 people from the worlds of science, journalism, publishing, comedy, literature and law signed up to Keep Libel Laws out of Science and call for an urgent review of English law of libel. Supporters include Stephen Fry, Lord Rees of Ludlow, Ricky Gervais, Martin Amis, Jonathan Ross, James Randi, Professor Richard Dawkins, Penn & Teller and Professor Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government.

Click here for some background on Simon Singh's case along with a discussion of the problems with the English libel system. At the launch of the campaign, Simon encouraged supporters to sign the statement of support, read more here

Click here to read Simon's full account of the story.

Add your voice to the National Petition for Libel Law Reform here