SLAPPs orders to be introduced to prevent abuse

The Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, is working on new laws to prevent wealthy individuals accused of sexual harassment from using the courts to bully journalists and whistleblowers into silence.

These legal cases, known as SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation), aim to prevent lawful investigations and discussions about matters of public interest, such as allegations of sexual misconduct.

The Government defines SLAPPs as an abuse of the legal process, where the primary objective is to harass, intimidate, and financially and psychologically exhaust the opponent through improper means. Under the proposed plans, the law will be changed to give judges new powers to dismiss legal claims by wealthy individuals accused of sexual misconduct if their intent is to harass journalists or restrain their right to free speech.

Additionally, the government will introduce restrictions to cap the costs that journalists or publishers might have to pay, protecting them from being financially ruined by legal action from powerful individuals.

Similar measures have already been announced to prevent "ultra-rich" individuals, big corporations, and those with links to President Vladimir Putin from abusing the criminal justice system through SLAPPs against journalists, publishers, and campaigners investigating financial matters. These measures were included in the Economic Crime Bill but only cover around 70% of SLAPPs cases in UK courts. The remaining 30% mainly involve sexual misconduct cases, where the government believes similar abuses of the law have occurred.

The move comes after the Daily Telegraph's legal battle with Sir Philip Green, a billionaire fashion tycoon, over an injunction preventing the paper from disclosing that he paid a female executive over £1 million in relation to groping allegations. Mr. Chalk seeks to bring forward legislation in the next session of Parliament to address the remaining SLAPPs cases, including those related to sexual misconduct.

A source from the Ministry of Justice stated that rich sexual abusers should not be able to use their wealth to hide behind the courts, and the government aims to put a stop to such actions.