The libel laws in the UK are heavily weighted in the favor of scam artists, frauds and other evildoers. These laws allow them to very easily silence the critics who are trying to save peoples money, health and even their lives. This really needs to change, so please head on over to The Libel Reform Campaign website and sign the petition. It costs you nothing to sign and people from outside the UK are most welcome.
In a recent email and post Simon Singh outlined some of the reasons why everyone who believes in free speech, human rights, liberty and honesty should make haste and sign the petition.
(a) English libel laws have been condemned by the UN Human Rights Committee.
(b) These laws gag scientists, bloggers and journalists who want to discuss matters of genuine public interest (and public health!).
(c) Our laws give rise to libel tourism, whereby the rich and the powerful (Saudi billionaires, Russian oligarchs and overseas corporations) come to London to sue writers because English libel laws are so hostile to responsible journalism. (In fact, it is exactly because English libel laws have this global impact that we welcome signatories to the petition from around the world.)
(d) Vested interests can use their resources to bully and intimidate those who seek to question them. The cost of a libel trial in England is 100 times more expensive than the European average and typically runs to over 1 million.
(e) Three separate ongoing libel cases involve myself and two medical researchers raising concerns about three medical treatments. We face losing 1 million each. In future, why would anyone else raise similar concerns? If these health matters are not reported, then the public is put at risk.
I urge everyone to please go sign the petition and stand up for free speech.
Paul Hutchinson's Blog 