The UK Government announced, on Tuesday 13 June, an anti-SLAPP amendment to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, currently progressing through Parliament. If adopted as part of the Bill, the amendment would provide courts in England and Wales with the power to strike out before trial SLAPPs claims that relate to information disclosed in the public interest protecting society from economic crimes.
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition welcomed this amendment, which if brought into law would be the first anti-SLAPP measure in the UK. It provides a robust new threshold test along the lines presented in our coalition’s model UK Anti-SLAPP Law (published in November 2022) and elevates the importance of free speech and public interest relating to economic crime.
The UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition has provided an outline of the pros and cons of the amendment, with remarks from co-chairs, including FPC’s Susan Coughtrie.