The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition is disappointed that an anti-SLAPP Law was not included in yesterday’s King’s Speech, especially considering the cross-party support for reform and the progress already made towards this vital issue. Now that the Labour Party is in the position to bring forward protections for free expression they must not shrink from the challenge.
Before the election, the Labour Party had supported reform while in opposition and the current Foreign Secretary David Lammy said stopping SLAPPs was a key part of Labour’s strategy to tackle dirty money in the UK. It is now time to put words into action – and not just in response to dirty money and corruption. The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition has long called for universally applicable protections, recognising that SLAPPs can be used to target anyone who speaks out in the public interest, from environmental defenders and housing campaigners to community activists and survivors of sexual assault and harassment. Without new legislation, there will be little to prevent those who wish to undermine British legal courts and misuse our legal system to block scrutiny and accountability.
The approach taken in the last SLAPP Bill, which was binned after the announcement of the General Election, was fundamentally flawed, but gave us a baseline upon which to build a meaningful law to protect free expression. In this new Parliamentary session, complete with a new government and a large contingent of new MPs, it is vital to build on the progress already made to respond to the urgency of the threat demonstrated by SLAPPs in a timely fashion. While the Labour Party is yet to commit to bringing forward an anti-SLAPP Law, the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition stands ready to work with all stakeholders to ensure free expression protections are not delayed.
