Index on Censorship

Last week, Zelda was invited to Parliament for the launch of the report, 'From Survivor to Defendant' by Index on Censorship, hosted by Baroness Helena Kennedy KC - a powerful and sobering discussion on how SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) are being used to silence survivors of gender-based violence. SLAPPs are one of the most egregious gagging tools - the evil cousin of the NDA. They’re not designed to win in court, but to intimidate, exhaust, and bankrupt those who dare to speak out about wrongdoing. No legal integrity. No justice. Our deep respect to Lucy Nevitt and Verity N. and their incredible The Gemini Project, for their courage in sharing their stories once again - and special thanks to Jennifer Robinson, Apsana Begum MP, and the Anti-SLAPP Coalition for their tireless work exposing how the law is still being weaponised against victims. As the UK moves forward with new NDA legislation under the Employment Rights Bill, a milestone in ending the misuse of confidentiality clauses, it’s time for government to show the same commitment to tackling SLAPPs. 🔗 Read the full From Survivor to Defendant report here: https://lnkd.in/eCfpv2QZ

Thank you to Index on Censorship for inviting me to speak in the house of lords last week at the report launch for 'Survivor to Defendant'. A report detailing how abusive legal actions are being used to silence survivors of gender based violence across the UK. The report powerfully demonstrates the reality of the growing misuse of civil litigation against survivors through survivor experiences and draws on research from The Gemini Project. It is a powerful call to action and gives much needed recommendations for reform. Earlier in the day, The Gemini Project also met with the Ministry of Justice and the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition to speak about our lived experiences and discuss reforms to stop the abuse of the UK courts through abusive legal actions. I am very grateful to have been a part of this work and to have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people working to end these practices. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/e9mHSypp

Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are being silenced by the very people accused of committing the abuse. It was great to collaborate with Index on Censorship on the report which reveals how abusive legal actions in the UK and Ireland are silencing survivors of #SGBV. Yesterday evening, we launched this report in the House of Lords. This report is also a wake up call to think about the silencing of women by the law - whether in offline or online spaces - and encouragement to think about far reaching effects and harms arising from allowing such practice to continue. 🚨The report highlights that governments must: ➡️Gain a clear understanding of how existing legislation and the judicial system is being abused in order to undermine SGBV survivors ➡️Adopt and implement measures to counter legal intimidation and SLAPPs at a legislative level as soon as possible ➡️ Consider the free expression implications when drafting and enacting new legislation to ensure that survivors are not further silenced or deterred from speaking out Read the full report ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eUBzMtcU  #StopSLAPPs #defamation #womensrights #endVAW Centre for Protecting Women Online