CASE terms SLAPPs as an abuse of the legal system that is aimed to intimidate public watchdogs through lengthy litigation that drains target’s resources and chills critical voices.
Coalition Against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Europe (CASE) on 26 March this year initiated a bold step to launch a website by outlining initiatives to protect journalists, rights defenders and whistle blowers.
SLAPPs used as a tool to silence critical voices
SLAPPs are willfully filed against public watchdogs to gag their fundamental right to report facts that unravel the truth by taking powerful to account.
CASE is working on consolidating details of strategic litigations, assisting such watchdogs by providing pro-bono legal services and conducting research in response to intimidation through SLAPPs.
CASE will soon reach the world
Charlie Holt, Legal Counsel for Greenpeace Campaigns International (GPI) says, “We are concurrently working closely with other coalitions, initiatives and campaigns around the world that have been set up to tackle SLAPPs. Protect the Protest in America, Asina Loyiko in South Africa and the research work undertaken by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre in Asia are few such initiatives to begin with. We hope to expand our horizon globally in times to come.”
Matthew Caruana Galizia, Co-Founder, The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation says, “My mother was fighting 47 libel cases when she was killed. As a member of CASE, we’re working to build resilience against SLAPPs across Europe.”
Sarah Clarke, Head of Europe and Central Asia, Article 19 says, “SLAPPs are a major issue in the UK, just last week we monitored the case of Realtid, a Swedish outlet being sued in the London High Court. We urgently need reform to prevent these vexatious lawsuits being brought against journalists and other public watchdogs.”
Julie Majerczak, Head of Brussels, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says, “We believe that a European directive would be the most effective instrument to combat the use of gag lawsuits by providing legally binding common standards to protect SLAPPs victims.”