The Libel Reform Campaign

Jeg har tidligere skrevet om underskriftskampanjen Keep Libel Laws Out of Science på nettsidene til organisasjonen Sense About Science etter at britiske kiropraktorer saksøkte vitenskapsreporter Simon Singh for å kritisere deres "bogus claims" i artikkelen Beware The Spinal Trap. Det pågår nå en tilsvarende underskriftskampanje for å endre Storbritannias middelalderske injurielover hvor bevisbyrden - stikk i strid med alle folkerettslige prinsipper - ligger på tiltalte. Det vil i praksis si at man regnes som skyldig til det motsatte er bevist. På nettsidene til The Libel Reform Campaign kan vi lese:

England's libel laws are unjust, against the public interest and internationally criticized - there is urgent need for reform

Freedom to criticise and question, in strong terms and without malice, is the cornerstone of argument and debate, whether in scholarly journals, on websites, in newspapers or elsewhere. Our current libel laws inhibit debate and stifle free expression. They discourage writers from tackling important subjects and thereby deny us the right to read about them.

The law is so biased towards claimants and so hostile to writers that London has become known as the libel capital of the world. The rich and powerful bring cases to London on the flimsiest grounds (libel tourism), because they know that 90% of cases are won by claimants. Libel laws intended to protect individual reputation are being exploited to suppress fair comment and criticism.

The cost of a libel trial is often in excess of £1 million and 140 times more expensive than libel cases in mainland Europe; publishers (and individual journalists, authors, academics, performers and blog-writers) cannot risk such extortionate costs, which means that they are forced to back down, withdraw and apologise for material they believe is true, fair and important to the public.

The English PEN/Index on Censorship report has shown that there is an urgent need to amend the law to provide a stronger, wider and more accessible public interest defence. Sense About Science has shown that the threat of libel action leads to self-censorship in scientific and medical writing.

We the undersigned, in England and beyond, urge politicians to support a bill for major reforms of the English libel laws now, in the interests of fairness, the public interest and free speech.

Jeg vil oppfordre alle som er opptatt av vitenskapens integritet, foruten ytringsfrihet og rettferdighet, til å undertegne oppropet. Simon Singh selv lover for øvrig å takke de første 1000 som rekruterer 10 andre til å undertegne oppropet, med fullt navn i sin neste bok. Altså er det bare å spre budskapet høyt og lavt.