Alberta Needs Anti-SLAPP Legislation

Journalism is essential to democracy.

PressProgress and over 100+ Canadian journalists, news publishers, digital media creators, press freedom advocates, academics, lawyers, labour unions and other civil society groups have signed an open letter calling for anti-SLAPP legislation in Alberta.

Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs, are often designed to intimidate and punish critical voices with the threat of long and expensive lawsuits. As the letter states:

“Whether it’s a journalist investigating powerful people, a civil society group advocating for social change, or simply an ordinary person with opinions about their government, democracies need legal mechanisms to protect free and democratic speech from frivolous, abusive and politically motivated lawsuits.”

Anti-SLAPP legislation stops unnecessary lawsuits at an early stage. It creates an important step in the legal process that gives courts the opportunity to assess the merits and motives of a legal action and acts as a powerful deterrent against the use of legal threats against journalists and others who speak up on issues about their democracy.

Similar legislation has already been adopted in Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba with cross-party support – this matters to everyone, regardless of partisan affiliation or personal political beliefs.

Add your name if you think Alberta needs anti-SLAPP legislation too.

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