The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted the Recommendation on countering the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). The newly adopted Recommendation provides a definition of SLAPPs, understood “as legal actions that are threatened, initiated or pursued as means of harassing or intimidating their target, and which seek to prevent, inhibit, restrict or penalise free expression on matters of public interest and the exercise of rights associated with public participation. For application of the Recommendation, broad public participation is intended. The recommendation, welcomed by the CASE Coalition, sets standards for member states to uphold human rights obligations and offers guidance for EU and non-EU states alike as they adopt anti-SLAPP measures. Member states are urged to use the Recommendation and a key Parliamentary Assembly report as benchmarks when implementing domestic anti-SLAPP laws. While the Recommendation offers important strengths, ambiguities, especially concerning early dismissal mechanisms, require clarification to prevent exploitation. Read more here.
Source: Council of Europe (CoE)/ CASE Coalition