A cross-party group of MPs has called for an end to legal threats that are used to silence whistle-blowers and journalists.

These legal warnings, known as strategic legal actions against public participation (SLAPPs), aim to prevent lawful investigations and discussions about matters of public interest. SLAPP litigations have been described by the government as ‘an abuse of the legal process, where the primary objective is to harass, intimidate and financially and psychologically exhaust one’s opponent via improper means’.

SLAPPs have received media attention over the last few years, first coming to public consciousness partly due to the government’s sanctioning of Russian billionaires leading to three Russian oligarchs bringing legal actions against journalists.

More recently, SLAPPs were used to prevent allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed and by the Post Office to frustrate the exposure of the Horizon scandal. Julian Lewis, a Conservative MP, has stated that ‘experts interviewed by the BBC were sent intimidating letters by Post Office lawyers about their participation in the programme’.

A cross-party group of MPs have now called for these excessive legal threats to be outlawed. MPs have supported Llyod Hatton’s non-binding motion which has called on ministers to introduce ‘comprehensive anti-SLAPP legislation that provides swift dismissal of such cases’.

Meanwhile, the Council of Europe in Strasbourg has proposed several steps to suppress these kinds of law suits. The previous Conservative government close to bringing in legislation banning SLAPPs, however justice minister Heidi Alexander stated that the government ‘do not currently intend to legislate this parliamentary session’.