Simon Singh calls for 100,000 people to sign libel reform petition

Simon Singh, the science writer currently fighting a libel action brought by the British Chiropractic Association, is calling for 100,000 people to sign the petition for libel reform before the political parties write their manifestos for the election.

"We have 17,000 signatures, but we really need 100,000, and we need your help to get there," he wrote to supporters this week.

"I've had to spend £100,000 to defend my writing and have put my life on hold for almost two years. However, the prospect of reforming our libel laws keeps me cheerful," he added.

Singh will also go the Court of Appeal on 23 February [corrected]. Singh is being supported by the Libel Reform campaign, formed by Sense About Science, English PEN and Index on Censorship.

The petition, challenging the rising number of 'libel tourism' cases, the high cost of defending a libel claim, and the law's 'chilling' effect on scientific debate, was launched in parliament in December 2009.

On the day of Singh's hearing the Westminster Skeptics are to hold a libel rally in central London; both Simon Singh and Dr Peter Wilmshurst – currently fighting a separate libel action – will be present.

Index on Censorship news editor Padraig Reidy told Journalism.co.uk that the coming weeks will be very important for libel reform.

"The seniority of the judges at Singh's next hearing reflects the seriousness with which his case is being taken," he said.

The Libel Reform Campaign "keenly awaits" the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) select committee report, due out on 24 February, he added.

"We hope [chairman] John Whittingdale and his colleagues on the committee will come up with concrete proposals for radically reforming our unjust libel laws, taking into account our campaign’s recommendations."

At the time of writing 197 MPs had signed the Parliamentary Early Day Motion calling for libel reform. The justice secretary Jack Straw has formed a working party, in which the Libel Reform Coalition will participate.

Update: The petition has attracted nearly 25,000 signatures at the time of writing.

[Disclaimer: Journalism.co.uk is supporting the Libel Reform campaign]

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