British Chiropractic Association v Simon Singh

Does it make any sense for non-UK citizens to sign a British competition? I signed the first one because the British libel laws affect me as well, but I am not sure if it is wise to continue to do so. If this had been in Denmark, the Danish politicians would have regarded the foreign signatories as interference in Danish sovereignty.
 
Do they want anyone to sign it, or just people within the scientific community ?
 
The impact of the Libel Laws is not only felt by the scientific community, Landr.Medicine, Journalism, investigative reporting can all be stifled to the detriment of the general public. So, anyone can sign, and probably should :)

@steenkh - One of the central points the campaigners are making is that England has become a mecca for libel tourism from claimants around the globe. English libel law can and does effect citizens from a wide range of countries, even if the publication is not directly intended for the english market.So, a signatory from those who believe in the campaign from countries outside of the UK would be just as relevant.
 
That could mean that after this "appeal of the preliminary hearing on meaning" the two parties could get together and reach a settlement. Very powerful statement coming up.
 
Lothian said:
I started to sign but then cancelled. Is it possible to sign the petition without sending a letter to your MP? I have already written to my MP on the subject and don't really want to sent a new generic letter?
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It's power by numbers.

100,000... would be a big number
20,000.... barely registered with politicians
1... you have to be joking
 
Lothian said:
Is it possible to sign the petition without sending a letter to your MP? I have already written to my MP on the subject and don't really want to sent a new generic letter?
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I agree, and I have asked the petition organisers to make this opt out available as soon as possible.
 
rjh01 said:
That could mean that after this "appeal of the preliminary hearing on meaning" the two parties could get together and reach a settlement. Very powerful statement coming up.
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If I were the BCA I would be trying madly (though not happily) to settle this case as sonn as possible on whatever terms Simon Singh would accept.

It appears to me unlikely - though technically possible - that the BCA will repeat their success.
 
BillyJoe said:
Here again, as in the Simon Singh case, we have Eady making seemingly perverse decisions - a view corroborated by the fact that other judges readily overturned his rulings on appeal.

I agree we need to concentrate on changing the libel law, but Eady is surely, for some unfathomable reason, exploiting that law.
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Quite posible that Eady is just no good at writing law which in the absense of statue law is pretty much what he is being asked to do.
 
steenkh said:
Could they, at this stage, simply drop the case, and walk away?
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I dont know, but i feel that it would be wrong if they could, at least not whithout picking up the bill. This is a looser pays all game, and Simon Singh has allready had to carry huge costs for this case.
 
scratchy said:
I dont know, but i feel that it would be wrong if they could, at least not whithout picking up the bill. This is a looser pays all game, and Simon Singh has allready had to carry huge costs for this case.
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If they withdraw, I understand that they would be liable for Simon's barrister's fees, I am not sure to what extent his solicitor's fees would be due.
 
steenkh said:
Does it make any sense for non-UK citizens to sign a British competition? I signed the first one because the British libel laws affect me as well, but I am not sure if it is wise to continue to do so. If this had been in Denmark, the Danish politicians would have regarded the foreign signatories as interference in Danish sovereignty.
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We're all YUROPANS now, whether we like it or not. So long as you refrain from sailing up the Thames in a longship and don't put parliament to the sword, I think it's all right.

I don't , you understand, personally disapprove the sword option, but the paperwork afterwards would take years.
 
Mojo said:
And Melanie Phillips:

This may have implications for the Special Theory of Daily Mail Headlines, which proposes that for any Daily Mail headline that is in the form of a question, the answer is "no".
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So - word the question ensuring that the negative answer is a positive result.
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Jack Straw to review Britain's libel laws.

Straw has previously promised to act against libel tourism, fearing Britain's restrictive libel laws are being exploited by plaintiffs with few real links to the UK.

But the justice ministry said the review, to be conducted by academics, lawyers and newspaper editors, will go much further.

...

The issue of whether academics and scientists can defend their remarks on the basis of fair comment or in the public interest will also be examined.
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