Andy Burnham is set to back a Private Member's Bill, put forward by a senior Conservative MP and former Culture Secretary, to ban whistleblower gagging orders, known as SLAPPs.
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are aggressive legal claims which have been used by powerful individuals and corporations to intimidate and silence critics — namely journalists and whistleblowers. The Free Speech Union has long campaigned for legislation to end this sinister tool of censorship, which has been used to silence critical figures wishing to expose the secrets of powerful individuals or organisations in matters of public interest.
It was reported over the weekend in The Telegraph that the new Prime Minister, following calls from Labour MPs for more action to crack down on legal threats increasingly being used to target "ordinary citizens", is set to give Government backing to Sir John Whittingdale's Private Member's Bill.
SLAPPs achieve their aim by threatening defendants with the extortionate financial costs associated with fighting a legal case.
In 2023, a new law was passed under which courts could throw out SLAPPs through an early dismissal mechanism, or apply a costs protection regime, in a bid to prevent eye-watering legal bills.
This legislation, however, only relates to cases involving economic crime. Sir John's Bill, introduced earlier this summer, would extend these important protections to other types of litigation.
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