The law has no place in scientific disputes

UPDATE 10 December 2009The Campaign is gaining momentum and we have now joined with English PEN and Index on Censorship in the Coalition for Libel Reform. Add your voice and sign the petition to urge politicians to support a bill for major reform of the libel laws now, at www.libelreform.org.

We the undersigned believe that it is inappropriate to use the English libel laws to silence critical discussion of medical practice and scientific evidence.

The British Chiropractic Association has sued Simon Singh for libel. The scientific community would have preferred that it had defended its position about chiropractic for various children's ailments through an open discussion of the peer reviewed medical literature or through debate in the mainstream media.

Singh holds that chiropractic treatments for asthma, ear infections and other infant conditions are not evidence-based. Where medical claims to cure or treat do not appear to be supported by evidence, we should be able to criticise assertions robustly and the public should have access to these views.

English libel law, though, can serve to punish this kind of scrutiny and can severely curtail the right to free speech on a matter of public interest. It is already widely recognised that the law is weighted heavily against writers: among other things, the costs are so high that few defendants can afford to make their case. The ease and success of bringing cases under the English law, including against overseas writers, has led to London being viewed as the "libel capital" of the world.

Freedom to criticise and question in strong terms and without malice is the cornerstone of scientific argument and debate, whether in peer-reviewed journals, on websites or in newspapers, which have a right of reply for complainants. However, the libel laws and cases such as BCA v Singh have a chilling effect, which deters scientists, journalists and science writers from engaging in important disputes about the evidential base supporting products and practices. The libel laws discourage argument and debate and merely encourage the use of the courts to silence critics.

The English law of libel has no place in scientific disputes about evidence; the BCA should discuss the evidence outside of a courtroom. Moreover, the BCA v Singh case shows a wider problem: we urgently need a full review of the way that English libel law affects discussions about scientific and medical evidence.

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Science

Igor Aleksander FREng Professor Emeritus in Neural Systems Engineering, Imperial College London

Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE Professor of Physics and of Public Engagement in Science, University of Surrey

Dr Sabine Bahn Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, University of Cambridge

Harriet Ball Voice of Young Science network

Professor Michael Baum MB FRCS ChM MD FRCR Emeritus Professor of Surgery and Visiting Professor of Medical Humanities, University College London

Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell FRS University of Oxford and President, The Institute of Physics

Willem Betz Emeritus Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Chair, SKEPP

Susan Blackmore Visiting Professor, School of Psychology, University of Plymouth

Professor Colin Blakemore FRS University of Oxford

Sir Tom Blundell FRS University of Cambridge and President, The Biochemical Society

Dr Petra Boynton University College London

Jean Bricmont Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Louvain and Honorary President, Association Francaise pour l'Information Scientifique

Tracey Brown Managing Director, Sense About Science

Sir Iain Chalmers Editor, The James Lind Library

Professor David Colquhoun FRS University College London

Professor David Cope

Professor Brian Cox University of Manchester

Dr Tim Crayford MB BS MSc FFPH FRSA Former President, Association of Directors of Public Health

Professor Richard Dawkins FRS University of Oxford

Professor Edzard Ernst MD PhD FRCP FRCP (Edin) Peninsula Medical School, Exeter University

Dr Oliver Fenwick Voice of Young Science Network

Professor Elizabeth Fisher FMedSci Institute of Neurology, University College London

Dr Ron Fraser Chief Executive, The Society for General Microbiology

Professor Christopher C French Head, The Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths University and Editor, The Skeptic Magazine

Carlos Frenk Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics, Durham University

Diana Garnham Chief Executive, The Science Council

John Garrow MD PhD FRCP FRCP (Edin) Emeritus Professor of Clinical Nutrition, University of London and Former Chairman, HealthWatch

Professor David Gordon President, Association of Medical Schools in Europe

Professor Trisha Greenhalgh University College London

Professor Hugh Griffiths FREng University College London and Chairman and on behalf of The Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK

Dr John Haigh Former Reader in Mathematics, University of Sussex

Kristoffer R Haug Master of Science, Nanotechnology, University of Oslo

Professor Martin Humphries University of Manchester and Chair, The Biochemical Society

Sir Tim Hunt FRS Cancer Research UK

Sir Roland Jackson Chief Executive, The British Science Association

Professor Steve Jones University College London

Dr Stephen Keevil King's College London

Professor Sir David King FRS Former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government and Director, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford

Dr Chris Kirk Chief Executive, The Biochemical Society

Professor Sir Peter Lachmann FRS FMedSci University of Cambridge and Founder President, Academy of Medical Sciences

Jennifer Lardge Voice of Young Science network

Armand Leroi Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Imperial College London

Dr Robin Lovell-Badge FRS FMedSci MRC National Institute for Medical Research

Dr Daniella Muallem Voice of Young Science network

Professor Dame Bridget Ogilvie FRS FMedSci Former Director, Wellcome Trust

Professor Clive Orchard University of Bristol and President, The Physiological Society

Professor Ole H Petersen CBE University of Liverpool

Lord Rees of Ludlow Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge

Les Rose Clinical Science Consultant

Dame Nancy Rothwell FRS MRC Research Professor and President, Biosciences Federation

Wallace Sampson Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford University

Alan Sokal Professor of Physics, New York University and Professor of Mathematics, University College London

Professor Beda Stadler University of Bern, Switzerland

John Stevens CSci FIBMS President and on behalf of The Institute of Biomedical Science

Professor Ian Stewart FRS Mathematician and Science Writer

Professor Raymond Tallis FMedSci Emeritus Professor of Geriatric Medicine, University of Manchester

Lord Taverne Chair, Sense About Science

Hazel Thornton Independent Advocate for Quality in Research and Healthcare

Sir Mark Walport Director, The Wellcome Trust

Professor Robin A Weiss FRS University College London and President, The Society for General Microbiology

Tom Wells Voice of Young Science network

Robin Wilson Professor of Pure Mathematics, Open University

Richard Wiseman Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire and Author

Journalism and Publishing

David Aaronovitch Columnist, The Times and Author

Monica Ali Writer and Member, English PEN

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Journalist and Columnist

Julian Baggini Journalist and Writer

Wendy Barnaby Editor, People and Society

Penelope Bennett Writer and Member, English PEN

David Bodanis Journalist and Author

Rosie Boycott Former Editor, The Independent and Independent on Sunday

Geoffrey Carr Science Editor, The Economist

Marcus Chown Author, Journalist and cosmology consultant to New Scientist

Duncan Campbell Journalist and Author

Dr Philip Campbell Editor-in-Chief, Nature

Nick Cohen Columnist, The Observer

Clive Cookson Science Editor, Financial Times

Amanda Craig Writer and Member, English PEN

Nick Davies Journalist and Author of Flat Earth News

Blain Fairman Writer and Member, English PEN

Kendrick Frazier Editor, Skeptical Inquirer

Martin Gardner Author, Former Scientific American columnist and prominent skeptic

James Gleick Science Writer and Journalist

Dr Ben Goldacre Writer, Broadcaster and Medical Doctor

David Hare Writer and Member, English PEN

Nigel Hawkes Director, Straight Statistics and Former Health Editor, The Times

Mark Henderson Science Editor, The Times

Roger Highfield Editor, New Scientist

Eva Hoffman Writer and Member, English PEN

Dr Richard Horton FRS FMedSci Editor, The Lancet

Alok Jha Science and Environment Correspondent, The Guardian

Rohit Jaggi Columnist, Financial Times

Frances Jessup Writer and Member, English PEN

Barry Karr Skeptical Inquirer and Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki Author, Broadcaster and Scientist

Hari Kunzru Writer and Member, English PEN

Sam Lister Health Editor, The Times

Brenda Maddox Journalist and Biographer

Kenan Malik Journalist and Author

Marilyn Malin Writer and Member, English PEN

Naomi May Writer and Member, English PEN

Dr Margaret McCartney Columnist, Financial Times and GP

Caspar Melville Editor, New Humanist magazine and Chief Executive, The Rationalist Association

Robin McKie Science Correspondent, The Observer

George Monbiot Journalist

Andrew Mueller Journalist and Author

Beverley Naidoo Writer and Member, English PEN

Steven Novella Editor, Science-Based Medicine; Director of General Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine and Author

Vivienne Parry Science Writer and Broadcaster

John Rennie Former Editor-in-Chief, Scientific American

Nick Ross Journalist and Broadcaster

Ian Sample Science Correspondent, The Guardian

Anne Sebba Columnist, Financial Times

Ariane Sherine Comedy, Writer and Journalist

Michael Shermer Publisher, Skeptic Magazine; Columnist Scientific American and Author of Why People Believe Weird Things

Rebecca Smith Medical Editor, The Daily Telegraph

Andrew Sugden Deputy Editor, Science

Mike Swain Science Correspondent, The Daily Mirror

Bill Thompson Technology Journalist

Margaret Wertheim Science Writer

Arts, Humanities and Entertainment

Martin Amis Novelist

Joan Bakewell Broadcaster and Journalist

Antony Beevor Historian

Jo Brand Performer

Derren Brown Psychological Illusionist

Alain de Botton Author

Carol Ann Duffy Poet Laureate

Peter Florence Director of The Guardian Hay Festival

Stephen Fry Broadcaster and Author

Ricky Gervais Writer and Performer

Anthony Grayling Professor of Philosophy, Birkbeck College University of London

Dave Gorman Writer and Performer

Harry Hill Performer

Robin Ince Performer

Tim Minchin Performer

Dara O'Briain Performer

Penn Jillette Illusionist, Juggler and Libertarian

Libby Purves Broadcaster, Journalist and Author

Jonathan Ross TV presenter

David Starkey Historian

Teller Illusionist, Juggler and Libertarian

Sandi Toksvig Broadcaster, Comedian and Author

Dr Richard Vranch Performer and Ex-physicist

Skeptics and Campaign Groups

Luis Alfonso The Spanish Skeptics group Circulo Esceptico

The Association for Skeptical Enquiry, UK

Australian Council Against Health Fraud

Australian Skeptics Inc

Peter Bowditch Editor, www.ratbags.com

Neil Denny Little Atoms podcast

Rachael Dunlop Reporter, Skeptic Zone podcast

Hanno Essen Chairman and on behalf of the Swedish sceptics Vetenskap och Folkblidning

European Council of Skeptical Organisations

Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften The German Skeptics group

Jonathan Heawood Director, English PEN

Gabor Hrasko Executive President and on behalf of The Hungarian Skeptic Society

Narisetti Innaiah Chairman, Center for Inquiry, India

The Irish Skeptics Society

Dr Massimo Polidoro On behalf of Italian Skeptics CICAP

Andy Lewis Blogger, quackometer.net

Ronald A Lindsay President and CEO, Center for Inquiry, USA

Simon Perry Founder, Skeptics in the Pub (Leicester)

Dr Philip Plait President, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA

James Randi CEO, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA

Padraig Reidy Index on Censorship

Sid Rodrigues Chairman, Skeptics in the Pub (London)

Amardeo Sarma Chairman, German Skeptics (GWUP)

Eran Segev President, Australian Skeptics Inc

Law

David Allen Green Solicitor

Jonathan Morgan Fellow in Law, University of Cambridge

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC Barrister and Labour Member of the House of Lords

This statement has been sent to the Department for Culture Media and Sport, No 10 and the Department of Justice on Thursday 4th June and with every additional 1000 names we will be sending the statement again to Government until there is a commitment and a timetable from the parties for the necessary legislation. Next 1000 names here (these will be added as quickly as we can).