A Victory for Free Speech

Those interested in free speech and rational critique of ideas probably already know about Simon Singh's case in the U.K. Singh was sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association for some comments he made suggesting that the practices they promote are, well, bunk. An initial ruling by Justice David Eady appeared to be a major setback to Singh's case. However, he appealed and won the right to defend his comments as statements of opinion, rather than statements of fact.

Well, it appears the BCA has decided that it can no longer prevail and has dropped its libel suit against Singh. You can read more about this at Sense About Science.

While this is a major victory against the BCA's attempt to censor scientific criticism, the British libel laws are still in place. If you have not already done so, join the effort to revise the law to end the practice of using the legal system to censor critics. These laws don't just affect those living in the U.K.; they everyone, everywhere, thanks to libel tourism.

Big Libel Gig in the Skye

Okay, so it's in London's West End, not the Isle of Skye.  What, you may ask?  Why, The Big Libel Gig.  If you happen to be in the U.K. on March 14, you may want to consider getting tickets to this.  See the link for details and help support libel reform.

Help Fight Legal Censorship and Libel Tourism

If you are reading this blog, you probably have an interest in censorship issues.  Well, right now, there's a fight going on in the U.K., a long-overdue attempt to reform that country's libel laws.  What brought this to the fore and has garnered so much attention is a libel suit against Simon Singh, who is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association over a statement he made a while back.

This case is important, because it doesn't just affect Simon.  It affects everyone who writes anything online.  If you think that you are safe, keep in mind that if anything you write ends up being distributed in the U.K., you can be sued there.  It is a haven for libel tourism.  The U.K. libel laws can basically function as a means of bullying people into submission; wealthy plaintiffs can sue critics into silence and submission.

So what can you do about it?  You can sign a petition.  Right now, they have about 17,000 signatures.  They need 100,000.  So go to the petition and sign it.  If you do, let me know.