National Petition for Libel Law Reform

Add your voice www.libelreform.org

***UPDATE 24th August 2010*** Are you a blogger and can you help? More here

***UPDATE 11th August 2010*** President Obama acts to protect US writers from UK libel laws." More here

***UPDATE 15th July 2010*** Sense About Science and Simon Singh win at Medical Journalists' Association Awards Read here

***UPDATE 14th July 2010*** In the US the SPEECH Act against libel tourism is approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and referred to the full Senate. See the text of the bill here and follow its progress here. Read coverage here

***UPDATE 9th July 2010*** The Government announce their own libel reform Bill. 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."

Use our timeline to see key events from the Keep Libel Laws Out of Science campaign and the Libel Reform Campaign, as well as milestones from science writer Simon Singh's case against the British Chiropractic Association. Click on boxes to find out more, and to see photos, videos, and media coverage from each of the different events.

Sense About Science launches Keep Libel Laws out of Science	June 2009	BCA V Singh Simon Singh on the background to his case
The World Conference of Science Journalists	July 2009	Simon Singh's application turned down by Court of Appeal
	August 2009	Simon Singh to apply again to Court of Appeal for oral hearing
Richard Dawkins Addresses the Liberal Democrat Annual Party Conference	September 2009
The Liberal Democrats commit to libel reform
The Association of British Science Writers annual lecture	October 2009	Simon Singh is granted permission to appeal
Free Speech is Not For Sale report published	November 2009
Jack Straw acknowledges need for libel reform
Launch of Coalition for Libel Reform	December 2009	Panel for Simon Singh's appeal announced
Nick Clegg addresses Royal Society on libel	January 2010
Jack Straw announces plans to reduce costs of libel laws
CMS Report 'Press Standards, Privacy and Libel'	February 2010	Simon Singh's appeal hearing
Big Libel Week	March 2010
Prof. Lacerda addresses MPs on libel chill
The Big Libel Gig
Mass Lobby of Parliament
Labour Party commits to libel reform
Conservatives commit to libel reform	April 2010	Simon Singh appeal successful
Three major parties commit to libel reform in manifestos		The BCA drop their case against Simon Singh
Parliamentary Early Day Motion for libel reform closes
Free Speech Election Hustings
Lord Lester's Libel Bill published	May 2010
Government announces libel reform bill	July 2010

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

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

Here are some of our volunteers telling us why they wanted to help on the campaign, and how they've become so passionate about libel law reform. Read more here

With huge thanks to Andy Lewis, Emma Welsh, Harriet Teare, Inga Deakin, Matt Davis, Frank Swain and Elisa Parish for all their technical and creative work. Thank you to Hamish Symington for wonderful design help, to web application development company Xibis, the Society for Endocrinology and The Physiological Society for their donations.

Last updated: August 24 2010