Squelching SLAPP Suits: Hubig's Proposal to Hinder Frivolous Lawsuits Designed to Intimidate
Tightening legal barriers against intimidation lawsuits to be implemented by Hubig.
In the future, individuals will see increased protections against frivolous lawsuits aimed at silencing them: high fees and expedited processing will be established by Justice Minister Hubig in a new law.
TheMinister of Justice, Stefanie Hubig, plans to combat such malicious lawsuits, dubbed as "intimidation lawsuits." These unfounded lawsuits are often filed by large corporations, governments, or influential figures to squash unwanted expressions in the public sphere. In the English-speaking world, these types of lawsuits are referred to as "SLAPP," or "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation." Hubig made this statement to Funke media group newspapers.
"Organizations, associations, journalists, and scientists are burdened with baseless lawsuits, leaving them preoccupied with their defense and financing," the SPD politician stated. "This is meant to silence them."
The proposed Anti-SLAPP law from Justice Minister Hubig aims to shield free speech and media in Germany. By targeting these frivolous lawsuits, the Minister hopes to safeguard the freedom of opinion across the country.
When it comes to social media, Hubig is in favor of imposing an age restriction below 16.
According to the bill set to be published this Friday — and already available to Funke newspapers — these types of SLAPP proceedings can pose a threat to the democratic process of free public opinion formation. Thus, the law's purpose is to prevent individuals from being inhibited from exercising their freedom of opinion and press, as protected by law.
The new law corresponds to a EU directive. To put a stop to these manipulative lawsuits, Hubig proposes raising court fees for those who file such cases with the intention of intimidating. In addition, these proceedings would be expedited, and defendants would be compensated for the costs of their defense to a greater extent. Court proceedings, therefore, should not be used to harass people participating in public discussions.
Hubig is adamant that the right to file lawsuits will remain intact in the new law. However, if the court deems the suit to be abusive, it will impose fees on the plaintiff as a penalty. Further, these cases are to be prioritized and processed speedily, ensuring the swifter dismissal of baseless claims.
Source: ntv.de, mau
- Stefanie Hubig
- Federal Ministry of Justice
- Lawsuits
- Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig's proposed Anti-SLAPP law, aimed at combating Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP), seeks to protect free speech and media in Germany by raising court fees for frivolous lawsuits intended to intimidate and expediting court proceedings to limit their potential impact on the democratic process.
- In an effort to shield organizations, journalists, scientists, and associations from baseless lawsuits meant to silence them, Stefanie Hubig, Minister of Justice, has advocated for the imposition of higher court fees and expedited processing for SLAPP legal proceedings in line with a EU directive, ensuring that such court proceedings are not used as a means of harassment against individuals participating in public discussions.
