Ministers will take aim at so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which are initiated by powerful individuals or businesses as a means of quietening dissenting voices.
A fresh focus has been thrown on the issue as the government seeks to take on Russian oligarchs with links to Vladimir Putin's regime, in the wake of his barbaric assault on Ukraine.What are SLAPPs?
These were Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea FC, Mikhail Fridman, the owner of one of Russia's largest private banks, Petr Aven, the former head of Alfa-Bank, Alisher Usmanov, a former investor in Arsenal FC, Rosneft, the Russian state-controlled oil and gas giant, and an unnamed Russian billionaire.
He told MPs how those with"exceptionally deep pockets and exceptionally questionable ethics" were using such"lawfare" to"threaten, intimidate and put the fear of God into British journalists, citizens, officials and media organisations". The department said other action could include capping the costs that claimants can recover - with the aim of stopping the super-rich from"weaponising" the high cost of litigation; or the introduction of a specific requirement for claimants to prove"actual malice" by a defendant in libel cases, in order to deter spurious claims.
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