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
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 and to web application development company Xibis for their donation
Press Coverage:National Petition for Libel Law Reform
Guardian Online Keep up demand for libel reform
Daily Mail Death of free speech: Is Britain becoming the censorship capital of the world?
The Sunday Times My week: Simon Singh
Solicitors Journal Power of the pen
New Statesman Campaign spotlight: Libel bashing
The Daily Politics Comedian Robin Ince on libel laws in England and Wales
Five Live Simon Mayo show, Simon Singh on the campaign and libel law reform
The Sunday Times Libel laws stifle jokes by Alexei Sayle and Ricky Gervais
The Observer My week: Simon Singh
The Guardian Take on the libel bullies
Felix Fighting for libel reform (page 5)
The One Show John Kampfner on the campaign for libel reform
ITV News at 10 Alexei Sayle on libel reform
BBC Breakfast Dara O'Briain on libel law reform
Sky News Simon Singh on the campaign and libel law reform
BBC NEWS Comic Dara O Briain says libel laws 'quash dissent'
The Times Scientists urge reform of 'lethal' libel law
The Mirror Dara O Briain wants libel law reform
The Independent Comic Dara O'Briain lambasts 'bully' libel law.
THE UCL provost: libel law is stifling academic freedoms
New Scientist blog Campaign to reform English libel law launched
Press Gazette Libel law can kill - reform it now.
Press Association Dara O'Briain wants libel reform
Press Coverage:Keep Libel Laws out of Science
Today programme, Radio 4 From 1:36:30 here
Daily Mail 'Libel tourism' gags free speech warns doctor being sued by U.S. firm
The Times Let's put an end to the disgrace of libel tourism
The Times Cardiologist will fight libel case 'to defend free speech'
The Scotsman Libel under a microscope
The Sunday Times Jack Straw pledges action to end libel tourism
The Sunday Times Think tank: The way to publish and not be damned
Time Magazine A Crackdown Coming on British Libel Suits?
The Independent Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: How libel laws silence our democracy
The Economist A city named sue
The Sunday Times Libel laws stifle health doubts
Channel 4 news Libel fear for doctors and scientists
The Sunday Times England's libel laws don't just gag me, they blindfold you
The New York Times Cracking the Spine of Libel
The Guardian An intrepid, ragged band of bloggers
The Independent The libel laws that threaten to stifle scientific debate
BMJ Keep Libel Laws out of Science
New Humanist Bogus treatment
SEED Magazine On behalf of Simon Singh
The Sunday Times Think tank: Costly libel suits are stifling science
Wall Street Journal Britain chills free speech
Professor Chris French in The Guardian 'Witch hunt' forces chiropractors to take down their websites
Nature Unjust burdens of proof
The Economist A happy cacophony
Times Higher Education Win or lose, the cost of fighting a libel suit chills science and journalism
BMJ Science in court
Channel 4 News Watch here
Daily Mail Celebrities back writer sued by chiropractors
The Guardian Science writer Simon Singh to appeal against chiropractic libel judgement
The Times Review of libel law called for by comedians
The Independent Silenced, the writer who dared to say chiropractice is bogus
Daily Telegraph Stephen Fry and Ricky Gervais defend science writer sued for libel
Nature news Science writer will appeal libel case ruling
Times Higher Education Singh plans to appeal ruling in libel case


