Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a media interview at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi during his visit to the United Arab Emirates
(PA Wire)
The Boris Johnson government is planning to prevent the rich and powerful from “abusing” the court to silence journalists and campaigners as a part of a series of reforms aimed at protecting free speech and targeting Russian oligarchs and other corrupt elites.
Mr Johnson promised to tackle the “chilling effect” of a “new kind of lawfare” that is being used by wealthy individuals to intimidate journalists through lengthy and expensive legal action.
The move comes days after Britain pushed through a new legislation to crack down on “dirty money” flowing through London, as a part of measures aimed at targeting those close to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
The deputy prime minister Dominic Raab will set out proposals that take aim at so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. These will range from considering measures to change libel laws to strengthening public interest defence, capping the legal costs claimants could recover and requiring them to prove “actual malice”.
Meanwhile, the prime minister failed to secure commitments from Saudi Arabia to step up oil production to ease cost-of-living pressures, on a visit that was overshadowed by the announcement of three further executions in the desert kingdom.
PM promises to clampdown the ‘lawfare’ by oligarchs and elites
Prime minister Boris Johnson has backed plans to stop Britain’s elites from abusing the country’s courts as he promised to tackle the “chilling effect” of a “new kind of lawfare” that is being used by wealthy individuals to intimidate journalists through lengthy and expensive legal action.
The ability of a free press to hold the powerful to account is fundamental to our democracy and as a former journalist I am determined we must never allow criticism to be silenced
Prime minister Boris Johnson
“For the oligarchs and super rich who can afford these sky-high costs the threat of legal action has become a new kind of lawfare. We must put a stop to its chilling effect.”
Namita Singh17 March 2022 04:43
Crackdown to stop Russian oligarchs using UK courts to ‘muzzle’ critics
A crackdown to stop Russian oligarchs using the UK legal system to “muzzle” critics is being promised by the government, after criticism of years of delay.
The move follows criticism that Vladimir Putin’s “rich cronies” are using UK courts to prevent exposure of their activities by targeting opponents with crippling costs.
Read the details in this report by our deputy political editor Rob Merrick.
Namita Singh17 March 2022 04:36
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of UK politics for Thursday, 17 March 2022.
Namita Singh17 March 2022 04:16
